Leisure centres and swimming pools in south Shropshire are not earmarked for closure, officials said today. The guarantee was made by four senior officials.

They are looking at ways of making the centres more popular.

Fears of closure grew when Tory finance boss Councillor Martin Taylor-Smith issued a public “use them or lose them” warning two months ago.

That prompted some leisure centre users to launch a campaign to ensure the facilities in the area remain up and running for the public.

Councillor Heather Kidd, former leader of South Shropshire District Council, said it would be a “catastrophic” situation if the centres were to close.

But in a joint statement today Councillors Gwilym Butler, Patrick Creasey, Georgie Ellis and Rosanna Taylor-Smith, who serve on the district’s scrutiny committee, said there were no plans for closure.

They said: “During many, many hours of discussion and site visits, with a further six planned, no one has uttered the word closure until now.

“All deliberations have been aimed towards enhancing the four centres, increasing the numbers using them, examining which parts of the communities are using them least and how people can be encouraged to use them more.

“The more that they are used the better value for money they become for all the council tax payers.”

The four councillors spoke out after Bill Jones, director of planning and environment, said the recently-opened SpArC arts and leisure complex, in Bishop’s Castle, was proving a hit with users.