Helping hand: Steve Graham and Shirley Lawrence of Primary Finance and Insurance Services with hyrdrotherapy pool manager Paul Charnwood

Lead stolen from a hydrotherapy pool roof is to be replaced, thanks to funding from a generous firm.

Staff at the Thamesdown Hydrotherapy pool, in Jeffreys Avenue, were devastated after thiefs took forty metres overnight on October 9.

It was the second time in six weeks that the thieves had targeted the pool and left the centre with a thousand pound bill.

As a result, it was feared money intended to benefit disabled children would need to be used to pay for the roof repairs.

But now Primary Insurance & Finance Services, based in Commercial Road, has intervened and will finance the project.

Work is due to start soon.

Proprietor Steve Graham said: “We read the story in the Advertiser and wanted to help.

“I was gobsmacked that someone would do that to their roof as I'm aware of the good work they do down there.

“Then when I heard that the money people were raising by doing the half marathon was going on the cost of the roof and not their running costs, I offered to fund the project.

“We've given a cheque of £1,050 to cover the costs.”

Jan Platt, the pool's assistant manager, said: “We appreciate their help very much.

“It really is a fantastic gesture from a local firm. We can't thank them enough.

“We had 40 runners running on our behalf during the Swindon Half Marathon, and now their sponsorship money can go towards upgrading equipment, which includes buoyancy aids, rather than roof work.”

Thamesdown Hydrotherapy pool opened in 1979 and is a purpose-built facility available to any individual with a disability, whether permanent or temporary.

Users have a wide range of disabilities, including brain damage, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, arthritis, blindness, deafness and asthma.

Every week the pool is used by 700 people, and since it was opened it has been used more than 650,000 times.

Anyone with any information about the theft of the lead is asked to contact the police on 0845 408 7000.

Text and image copyright Swindon Advertiser