An 18-month-old youngster was left screaming in agony after she went swimming in a hydrotherapy pool.

Trinity Turrell was marked on her face and body after a dip with her mother, Zoe Merry, at Henry House, a hydrotherapy pool in Heene Road, Worthing.

They took a weekly swim at the pool but this time Trinity left with bright red skin.

When Ms Merry got home, Trinity began crying and clawing her skin and she discovered her daughter had what looked like severe burns covering her body.

The only part unaffected was an area which had been covered by her water nappy.

Ms Merry, 26, from Worthing, said: "Trinity was screaming and when I looked I thought, 'Oh my God'. I was horrified. She was in agony.

"I have taken her swimming there since she was eight weeks old and nothing like this has happened before.

"I thought it was important for her to learn to swim, especially living by the coast. I don't want her to miss out on swimming but we have not been since."

Ms Merry and her husband, Gary Turrell, took Trinity to an emergency doctor on Christmas Eve and had to visit the doctor again on Christmas Day.

She said: "Our Christmas was ruined. She didn't sleep at all the night before. I was really worried about her and we took her again in the afternoon."

Trinity's condition has eased since Ms Merry applied prescription steroid cream to the skin but she still has several red marks.

Karen Simporis, proprietor of Henry House, said swimmers could react badly to the chemicals used to maintain hygiene in the pool.

She said: "We checked our readings and everything was absolutely normal that day.

"People have an allergic reaction to bromine sometimes, as with many other things like peanuts.

"Obviously I'm concerned but I can't see anything other than a possible allergic reaction.

"I have not come across this in small children before but sometimes elderly people who are taking steroids have a reaction to it."

Bromine, which is naturally present in sea water, is sometimes used in pools instead of chlorine.

Haydn Smith, head of environmental services at Worthing Borough Council, said: "Quite a large proportion of pools do use bromine as a disinfectant. There are guidelines for its use, which are checked by the council.

"In this case investigations are being conducted, but there is no indication at this stage of anything untoward on that day."