Dartmouth swimming pool trustees are likely know by the end of today whether South Hams Council bosses are prepared to help them dodge a £341,000 VAT bullet.

But the district council leader John Tucker has warned that he personally thinks there is very little chance that his council will be able to help.

The pool team want the district council to front the £2.5m indoor swimming pool development so that they can claw back the VAT on the build – and possibly make the difference between building the pool they want or developing a scaled- down project.

Cllr Tucker made it clear that the district council is currently looking at the pool trust appeal for help – and all its implications – and said it is likely that the trustees would have their answer by today.

But he said that the district council had always supported going as far as pumping £400,000 into the pool scheme and handing over the Townstal site for a 'peppercorn' rent – but not a step further.

'If the evidence stacks up in their favour then we may well change our mind but from the evidence that I have seen it does not give me a great deal of hope.

'We have got to look at it and see where it leaves South Hams Council in all the possible situations.'

The swimming pool trustees are putting together a detailed tender to go out to potential developers to build the pool next to the council-owned Dartmouth Leisure Centre.

If South Hams Council is seen as the body behind the building of the pool, the council will be able to claim back the VAT– about £341,000..

At the moment, Devon County Council has pledged £1.5m towards the cost of the pool; South Hams Council has come up with another £400,000 and the site; and Dartmouth Town Council has pledged £250,000 – £150,000 for the build and £100,000 to help out with the running costs. The pool trust is also after up to £250,000 of Sport England lottery money.