A swimming teacher is campaigning for a community pool to be built in Falmouth for competitive swimmers.

Gemma Adams says that although the town already has several pools, existing facilities are either too small or too expensive.

She said: "Individuals travel to Truro or Helston to use bigger pools which seems ridiculous when every other large town in Cornwall has a big pool.

"We have got realistic expectations that this isn't going to happen overnight but with people power there's an element of being able to make change and for good things to happen."

The pool would be either 25 or 50 metres in length and Gemma says that it would create jobs for the community as well as a suitable facility where swimmers could train year-round."

She added: "Why shouldn't Falmouth have a swim club? Why should the Surf Lifesavers have to pay in Truro?"

Gemma started a Facebook page on October 5 to start building grassroots support for the plan.

In less than two weeks the group already has already attracted more than 600 followers.

She said: "I don't know of anyone who doesn't want it to happen. We need to get a community of people who can help.

"Obviously you're going to get negative people saying it's not going to happen but if you thought like that nothing would happen."

She said her campaign "isn't about slating the existing facilities," and that "the leisure pool is great," but that Falmouth's current swimming pools don't meet the need of the town's growing population.

Like the Falmouth Community Swimming Pool page on Facebook for more information.

Click here to sign the petition.