THE multi-million-pound Carnegie Leisure Centre is undergoing repairs after a ceiling tile fell into the training pool.
Less than two years after the Dunfermline centre reopened following an £18 million refurbishment, a tile measuring approximately three feet by one foot plunged into the newly revamped Edwardian pool.
Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, which manages the pool on behalf of Fife Council, said nobody was in the pool at the time.
As a result of the incident, public swimming was suspended on Monday and restricted to certain times the next day to allow clubs to use the main pool.
The training pool is now closed for repairs and netting is to be put up as a precaution in case any more tiles fall down.
A swimming coach who uses the centre, and who asked to remain anonymous, said the incident was worrying.
He said: “The safety of children is paramount and this sort of thing should not happen when such a vast amount of money has been spent on the pool. It’s not the sort of thing you expect at such a state-of-the-art establishment.”
The coach added: “Other than that, the facilities are great first class.”
The tile that fell was described as being made of high-density glass wool. Fife Council, which owns the building, is investigating the incident.
Andy MacLellan, sports partnership manager at Fife Council, said: “We are currently looking into the issue of the roof tile above the training pool. The contractor is looking at installing measures including netting, as a precautionary measure, as soon as possible until the tile is fixed.”
Meanwhile, Fife Sports and Leisure Trust apologised for any inconvenience.
A spokeswoman for the trust said: “The training pool has been closed while essential repair works are carried out. This means there will be an impact on public swimming in the main pool while classes and schedules are reorganised to accommodate the usual training pool timetable.
“Fife Sports and Leisure Trust apologise for any inconvenience caused and will ensure customers are kept fully informed of pool availability to minimise disruption. For full and up-to-date information customers should visit www.fifeleisure.org.uk.”