A HAMPSHIRE town has launched a campaign to reopen its lido in time for the summer.

The open-air seawater baths in Lymington are normally open between May and September but remained closed last year after failing health and safety checks.

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Initial estimates suggested that repairs could cost more than £2m, raising fears that the 180-year-old facility would never re-open.

But convicted criminals sentenced by the courts to carry out unpaid work in the community have been drafted in to give the site a facelift.

Christine Howe, Lymington’s stand-in town clerk, added: “We’re steam-rolling forward and I’m 99 per cent confident the pool will re-open at the end of May or the beginning of June.”

Long-term proposals for the lido include an artificial beach with beach huts and facilities for various water sports.