Almost 90 per cent of voters have backed plans to reopen Arundel Open Air Pool in a town poll.

They were asked if they wanted Arun District Council and Arundel Town Council to invest more than £200,000 to refurbish the pool - meaning an increase in council tax.

More than a third of Arundel's 2,7728 electotrate - 34.2 per cent - turned out to cast their votes on five questions.

The parish poll was restricted to Arundel electors but schoolchildren had their say in mock polls this week.

Arundel C of E Primary School pupils voted 97 per cent in favour of having the pool re-opened but Westergate Community School and Amberley CE First School votes have not been counted yet.

The Arundel and Downland Community Leisure Trust (ACT), which organised the poll, hope the councils will act swiftly on the results.

ACT chairman Ruth Kerslake said: "We are absolutely delighted to have had such a strong turnout at the polls.

"It has demonstrated overwhelming support for Arundel pool and the importance that people living in rural areas attach to having their own leisure facilities.

"We look forward to working with both councils to take this project forward as soon as possible and we look to Arun District Council, in particular, to make the swimming pool part of its leisure strategy for the future."

Arun District Council had pledged £142,000 and Arundel Town Council £70,000 towards refurbishing the pool. The work could be completed by summer 2004.

Arundel pool closed in September 1999 when the district council decided not to continue providing an annual subsidy of around £50,000.

The refurbishment and running of the pool would cost band D council taxpayers around £5 a year extra.