A TARGET of £120,000 to save Chagford's swimming pool has been reached thanks to a grant from the Foundation for Sports and the Arts.

The grant of £6,600 means that all the funds have now been found to bring the pool up to health and safety standards.

Project co-ordinator Marion Symes said it was wonderful: 'This money has made that extra difference,' she said. 'It has been an enormous help.'

The 65-year-old pool was in use up to last summer but it was feared that unless vital refurbishment work was carried out it would be lost to the community.

The filtration pipes were corroded, there was no automatic dosing for chemicals and no disabled facilities.

A fundraising campaign was launched in September 1998 and help has been received in the form of grants from a number of bodies including West Devon Borough Council, Dartmoor National Park and Chagford Festival Committee.

Money raising events were held and many donations were given by local people. A lot of support was also received from the Chagford Recreational Trust.

Mrs Symes said the pool was well used by the community and as the school's pool had 'given up the ghost' it would now be used by pupils during school hours.

'Chagford pool has always been a very simple pool and it is going to stay that way,' she said. 'We want to keep it an inexpensive pool to run if we can.'

Phase one of the project includes putting in new filtration pipes, solar pool covers and some terracing work and the pool is due to re-open in early June.

The project co-ordinator said all the underground work was being done so heating could be added later on.

'The solar covers will help to raise the temperature of the water but we do not know by how much,' she said. '

The aim is to make the pool fully heated but that will cost at least £20,000.'

Solar panels are the preferred option for heating the pool but that is expected to cost a lot more and a very large roof space is needed.

Relining the pool, improving the changing facilities and work on the car park are expected to follow in phase two if the funds allow it.

'The important thing is we have reached the total to save the pool thanks to everyone's efforts,' added Mrs Symes.

'We can have a short breathing space now before we start fundraising again.'