POWYS County Council has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive after a child had to be revived by paramedics when found “face down” in Machynlleth’s swimming pool.

The council pleaded guilty at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court to two charges of breaches of the Health and Safety Act relating to the incident, which occurred on Monday, 24 November 2014.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said that the prosecution came after a boy “got into difficulty” in the swimming pool at Bro Ddyfi Leisure Centre.

The incident occurred while the authority was still in charge of the leisure centre, before its management was outsourced in May last year.

“The child was found face down in the pool and had to be revived by paramedics,” a HSE spokeswoman told the Cambrian News.

The authority pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety of a person other than an employee, and failure to discharge its duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in relation to a poolside alarm which did not work adequately.

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