A DEMONSTRATION by about 200 people from Knighton and the surrounding area was held outside the threatened Knighton Sports centre recently.

People gathered outside the centre at 3.15pm along with A.M. Kirsty Williams to show their support for the centre in the pouring rain. At 5.30pm another crowd who couldn't' get their earlier gathered outside the centre this time they were accompanied by three members of Knighton Town Council including the Mayor Cllr Sally Vaughan. Sally told everyone she was devastated by the news and the council were going to do all they could to save the centre.

Kirsty Williams A.M. said "I am very concerned at these proposals, communities were told that the transfer of services to Freedom Leisure was to safeguard them. The decision by Powys County Council is a bolt out of the blue and flies in the face of all the public health messages that people are told to keep them and their families fit an healthy".

Victoria Phillips a mum of four from Bucknell said "All my children have learned to swim in Knighton and we have been using the centre for ten years travelling from Bucknell every week. The closure would mean finding an alternate sports centre much further away".

Bev Ridley said "As a disabled person being able to use the sports centre to swim and go to the gym at least once a week is wonderful. I am really worried about the future because I cannot drive so I would struggle to get to Presteigne every week".

To keep up to date with what is going on with Knighton Town Council and Powys County Council regarding the proposed closure join the Facebook page Save Knighton Sports and Leisure Centre. The page was set up on September 24 and by September 27 already had 735 members.