IAN CLARKE Former Olympic medalist and TV personality Sharron Davies took a dip in the £8.9m Dereham Leisure Centre yesterday with up and coming local youngsters - as well as her very own new pride and joy.

IAN CLARKE

She has shared pools across the world with the very best swimmers on the planet.

And former Olympic medalist and glamorous TV personality Sharron Davies looked just as happy as she took a dip in the £8.9m Dereham Leisure Centre yesterday with up and coming local youngsters - as well as her very own new pride and joy.

Sharron's three month old baby Finley and her husband Tony joined her as she made her special guest appearance at the long-awaited new centre.

Traffic hold-ups meant they were about 45 minutes behind schedule - but after a seven-year wait for the new complex no-one seemed too worried about staying a few more minutes for the official opening.

"You need bigger roads guys!" Sharron joked to guests. "I came back from Spain yesterday where I was at a charity launch and it look less time to get from there than it was to get here today!"

The 44-year-old celebrity said: "Swimming is a great exercise and it is great to see all these children enjoying it."

Dereham Otters members Rimini Chettleburgh, Lauren Burgess, Laura Rumsey, David Hardy, Sean Watson and Adam Cross - all aged between 11 and 15 - were given the privilege of sharing the pool with Sharron.

Lauren said: "It was amazing. I would love to swim in the Olympics as well!"

The centre has been built in part-nership between Breckland Council and Breckland Leisure Limited and is being run by Parkwood Leisure.

Breckland Council chairman Roy Rudling said it was a "very, very proud day" for Breckland and Dereham.