A new lease of life has been given to a Heartsease swimming pool which reopened its doors yesterday after a �300,000 refurbishment.

The pool, at Heartsease Primary School, comes as a big boost to several local schools and community groups which have been without a pool since April.

Lord mayor of Norwich Jenny Lay joined students and headteacher of the Rider Haggard Road school, Christina Kenna, to cut the ribbon on the pool's brand new lease of life yesterday afternoon.

The facility was first opened in 1973, but was closed in order to be brought up to modern standards, introducing facilities such as improved disabled access.

Mrs Kenna said: 'This has brought the swimming pool into line with our modern school. We are a 21st century school and now the pool matches, the kids think it is great.

'The building and the changing rooms are totally refurbished but the pool itself was fine, it's the infrastructure that has changed.'

It is not just the 400-plus students at Heartsease Primary celebrating the pool's reopening though. Hillside Avenue Primary, Magdalen Gates Primary, George White Junior, Catton Grove Primary, Angel Road Junior and Frettenham Primary all travel to Heartsease for swimming lessons as well.

With community groups such as the Norwich Penguins and Norwich Swans swimming clubs also using the pool, it looks set to be well used.

Kate McCormack, Learn to Swim co-ordinator for Norwich Penguins, added: 'Norwich Penguins has a long history working with Heartsease Primary School and the pool has always played a key role within our learn to swim section.

'Over the years Heartsease pool has allowed us to teach hundreds of children to swim through both term-time lessons and holiday courses.

'We are excited about returning to Heartsease and look forward to welcoming both old and new faces to our lessons.' The 6m wide and 15m long pool's refurbishment was funded by a combination of grants from the Swimming Association, Norfolk County Council's energy fund, the Building Maintenance Partnership Pool and Heartsease Primary.

Has your school got an important event coming up? Call Evening News reporter David Freezer on 01603 772418, or email david.freezer@archant.co.uk