Naked fury over changing room rules (From Messenger Newspapers)

Naked fury over changing room rules

7:40am Thursday 10th January 2013 in News

A TIMPERLEY resident’s call to limit the age of children in opposite gender swimming pool changing rooms has been branded ‘positively ridiculous’ in a backlash by Messenger readers.

Anne Michaelides wanted a ban and policy change on children older than two years being allowed in the same changing rooms as their opposite gender parents and guardians.

However, leisure chiefs from Trafford Community Leisure Trust have told Messenger there will be no change to the age limit and that it will remain at under-eight, in line with industry guidelines.

In response to Anne, disgusted grandmother Sara Kershaw said she was ‘appalled’ by the suggestions.

Another outraged reader said that the call for a change to the rules needed to be considered in realistic terms, believing that asking a two-year-old child to independently undress and wait patiently outside the changing room for his parent is above and beyond what any toddler is capable of.

A mother from Urmston branded the ideas ‘absolutely outrageous’ and ‘positively ridiculous’, calling changing rooms a potential ‘haven for predatory paedophiles’ if the idea became policy.

Catherine Dodsworth, of Sale, said: “The guidelines permitting children up to eight to change with their parents or guardians are there for a reason, and if the age limit was to be lowered, then many families – including mine – would simply not be able to swim.”

Another parent from Timperley said that squashing into one family cubicle is chaotic and doesn’t work Paula Wilson-Grady added: “With regards to people stripping off their swimming costumes, why on earth do some people – normally the older generation – feel the urge to get naked in a public shower?”

But Rosemary Fox, of Sale, said she agrees with Anne, calling the mothers ‘overprotective’ in maintaining that there are perverts in the changing rooms.

“She believes that the upper age limit should be five, with any child large for its age having to produce a birth certificate to be allowed in the opposite changing rooms.

And she was supported by a reader who describes himself as a ‘regular at Altrincham Leisure Centre’.

He said: “I am a man and totally disagree with big girls in the male changing rooms. One can’t have a proper wash when they are staring at you. It’s why I don’t shower there.”

Girls, if allowed in at all, should be a maximum of two years, preferably not allowed in at all.

“What about family changing rooms?”