IT was with great surprise and astonishment that we read Councillor June Griffiths' report in the Advertiser/Messenger.

We attend the baths every Monday evening to the over 40's swimming session, along with a group of about 20 friends. We have been doing this now for a large number of years.

We were vociferous in our complaints about the old changing room conditions and facilities and were very much looking forward to the new improved changing rooms. How wrong we were.

I don't know where Cllr Griffiths got her figures from quoting 72 per cent of respondents rating the facilities as being average to good and 68 per cent saying they would use the facilities more.

Since the new opening we have complained every week to the reception staff about the facilities. There are lockers containing only a plastic chair, one coat hanger, some lockers which do not lock, and the source of everyone's major complaint, the showers which are a complete and utter waste of time.

The reception staff have informed us that they were told things would improve and the showers were the latest state-of-the-art units. What planet are the people on who informed them of this? If you put shampoo on your hair, it is impossible to wash it out.

Cllr Griffiths also mentioned customer comment forms which were available at the centre. How come we have never been offered one, despite our views being made clear to reception staff that we are unhappy?

I accept that improvements have been made, some lockers have now been fitted with wooden benches and a second coat hanger, but we had to go into five lockers before we found one in which the lock actually worked. Also the lock on one of the shower rooms has already been broken off. This has happened when the units are only a few weeks old. The plastic locks on the cubicles are so cheap and nasty; they are certainly not suitable for the constant use that they are being put to in a public facility.

We can only see that this problem will get worse and worse.

Ray and Gill Carver, Marlbrook,

Bromsgrove