The outdoor swimming pools in Hitchin and Letchworth are set to open this weekend, in time for half term and hopefully warm, sunny weather.

The pools will open on Saturday, May 28, and work to make sure they are looking their best has been ongoing throughout spring.

This included draining and cleaning the pool floor before refilling and installing new boilers to heat the water more efficiently.

The 50m pools are owned by North Herts Council and operated by Stevenage Leisure Limited (SLL). Both have toddler pools, are surrounded by grassy areas for sunbathing and have refreshments and snacks available, and Hitchin outdoor pool also has a play park within the grounds.

Cllr Steve Jarvis, North Herts Council’s executive member for leisure, said: “After a long winter, we can’t wait for the outdoor pools to throw open their doors and welcome families, swimmers, and fun-seekers to enjoy the facilities.

"This year we’re providing swimmers with even more opportunity to use the pools, so please do make the most of these excellent facilities.”

In addition to the usual opening times, Letchworth outdoor pool will remain open for almost three extra weeks until September 30, on a reduced timetable (open all day Saturday and Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday - Friday: two sessions running on from 7am - 11am and 3.30pm to 6.30pm).

The pool's swimming season was extended following a successful petition from campaigner Sue Foster, which was presented to North Herts Council earlier this year.

Hitchin outdoor pool will remain open until September 11, with a late-night Thursday evening session available between 6pm and 7pm.

Lee Medlock, operations director at SLL, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming visitors back to our facilities which we’ve been working hard to get ready for this weekend.

"We’ve got several exciting events and activities planned at the pools this year – keep an eye on our Facebook pages for the pools for more details.”

Season tickets and carnet books are available to buy for the Letchworth pool at https://www.sll.co.uk/letchworth-outdoor-pool/.