A demonstration is being planned against South Hams Council's refusal to release promised funds for Dartmouth's £2.1m indoor swimming pool.

Pool trustees are hoping up to 100 banner-waving protesters will march on the district council headquarters in Totnes to show their strength of feeling for the delayed project.

Two buses are being laid on to take pool supporters to the first full meeting of the newly elected South Hams Council at 2pm on Thursday, May 21.

The call to arms came after thecouncil announced last week it was changing the rules over the funding of the long-awaited pool project.

The news came as a setback to trustees, who have worked tirelessly on the project, and puts a question mark over the future of the pool.

The project has been on the brink of getting the green light for weeks but now South Hams Council has said it wants to tie any pool development in with a 'market test' for all its leisure services within the district.

It has refused to release pledged funds of £400,000 without further guarantees and the pool project is on hold until at least September.

But pool trustee Ray Bridges said: 'We are not having any of it. They've welched on the deal. Out of the blue they have changed the rules and we have done everything they wanted. It's disgraceful.

'There have been lots of letters of support for the pool and we want to show the district council just what the people of Dartmouth feel.

For more on this story, see this week's Dartmouth Chronicle