A leisure centre in Sutton has issued a blunt warning telling swimmers to keep their costumes on in communal showers, after parents complained that naked men were washing themselves in front of women and children.
The warning from the operator of Westcroft Leisure Centre in Carshalton follows multiple complaints about the behaviour of some men using the poolside showers, which have been in place at the centre since 2013.
Startled parents are now calling for the communal shower area to be segregated, describing the open-plan layout as a “poor design” that leaves families with no privacy.
Local councillor Nick Mattey, who took up the issue after receiving several separate complaints, said it had “caused a really big stink” – but insisted it could be easily resolved by the council and its leisure operator, Everyone Active.
“You have people going in there facing women and children and giving their genitals a good washing,” Cllr Mattey said. He said some of the complaints came from mothers who take their children swimming. “Can you imagine you are taking a five-year-old kid in there and you have got some bloke with masses of lather?”
One mother from Wallington, who takes her children for family swims at the pool, said: “There are often some elderly gentlemen there who pull their shorts down and wash their privates.” She added: “It’s just about people feeling uncomfortable, and it’s not good for young people either.”
The mother said she understood why some swimmers chose to do their “daily wash” at the centre, given the cost-of-living crisis and rising water bills – and accepted that many people simply wanted to rinse the chlorine off after a swim. But she said privacy should be an option, pointing to nearby Waddon Leisure Centre, where swimmers can use separate private showers. “That way you have the privacy and you’re not exposing yourself,” she said.
She said some of her friends had made similar complaints, and argued the problem was one of “poor design” rather than the behaviour of any individual.
What the warning actually says
In a statement, Everyone Active contract manager Rebecca Eyles said the company took the privacy and safety of all its customers “extremely seriously”. She then set out the rules in plain terms: “Customers are asked to keep swimming costumes on while showering.”
“They are expected to behave in a considerate manner and inappropriate behaviour towards other customers or colleagues will not be tolerated. Anyone with concerns around this is encouraged to speak to our colleagues,” she said.
Ms Eyles added that the wet-side changing village included communal shower facilities as well as an individual accessible shower within the accessible changing room, and said colleagues regularly monitored the area, with increased staffing during peak periods. “We will continue to monitor use of the changing facilities, ensuring they remain welcoming and comfortable for everyone,” she said.
Sutton Council said it had asked Everyone Active to review its facility procedures to “ensure Sutton leisure centres are safe spaces for everyone”. A council spokesperson said the authority “takes concerns about privacy and safety extremely seriously”, adding: “Inappropriate behaviour towards other customers or colleagues will not be tolerated.”
Council-owned centre, operator-run pools
Westcroft Leisure Centre sits on the edge of Carshalton Village in the London Borough of Sutton. The building is owned by Sutton Council, but the day-to-day running is handled by Everyone Active – while the cost of any physical improvements to the site falls to the council.
The arrangement – a council-owned building run by an outside operator – is common across London, with boroughs regularly retendering leisure and culture contracts in search of savings.
Any physical changes, such as the dividing wall suggested by parents and Cllr Mattey, would fall to Sutton Council to fund, at a time when town halls across the capital are under severe financial strain.
Eight-week works “an opportunity”
This week, Everyone Active told members that Westcroft’s wet-side changing area would close for up to eight weeks while its flooring is replaced. Swimming will continue as normal, but the changing cubicles, showers and hairdryers in the area will be unavailable during the works.
The Wallington mother said the investment in new flooring was welcome, but argued the closure was also an opportunity to tackle the shower issue. “I get that it must cost a lot to maintain a swimming pool, but it would be good to look into that issue,” she said.
Cllr Mattey, of the Beddington Labour Co-op and Independent group, said the fix was simple: “All they would need to do is put a dividing wall in there and then you have a dividing wall for men and for women. It’s well within their remit to do it. It’s not exactly rocket science.”
Sutton Council said it would continue working with Everyone Active on the review of procedures, with the operator pledging to keep the changing village under close watch. The parents who raised the alarm say they will be watching too – to see whether the eight-week closure brings more than just a new floor.
