A POPULAR Wirral swimming baths – due to celebrate its 75th anniversary this year – has suddenly shut after going into compulsory liquidation.

Parents bringing their children to Byrne Avenue swimming baths, in New Ferry, Birkenhead, yesterday found a notice on the door from its directors saying the centre had closed down.

Staff were left shocked by the sudden decision which had been made on Sunday evening, and the notice said there were “insufficient funds” to keep the baths operating.

Last night, Wirral Council cabinet member for culture, Cllr Bob Moon, said he was saddened at the closure, and revealed council officers were also looking into the situation to see if it had any financial implications for the authority.

Byrne Avenue baths, a registered charity, was run and operated by the Byrne Avenue Recreational Trust, who leased the building from Wirral Council, which owns the freehold.

Cllr Moon said he did not believe the closure of the baths would affect the authority’s plans to transfer dozens of council-owned buildings to community ownership as part of the controversial Strategic Asset Review which was approved last week and will see 11 libraries close.

Dave Kidd, who had worked as manager for just two days before the trustees closed the baths, said he was devastated at the decision which had come so suddenly.

Mr Kidd said the centre’s 13 staff did not yet know if they would get paid the wages owed them, and were awaiting a chance to get back into the building to retrieve personal items left there.

He said: “No-one was allowed in this morning – it looks bad on my behalf.

“There would have been hundreds of people booked in for swimming this week, especially because it’s half term. We also have sports hall users who are affected.

“And the kids around here use the sports hall for playing football, and then there are other groups like the wrestling who will be left with nowhere to go.”

Former manager Steve Gaines said the swimming baths had been told to make a series of health and safety improvements in recent months, which they had completed, and had hoped this would help secure the baths’ future.