FREE swimming for children will be on offer for an extra weekend at Stourbridge's Crystal Leisure Centre following the unexpected closure of the leisure pool as half-term began.

The leisure pool has been closed since Saturday, the start of the autumn half-term when children can swim for free, but it is expected to re-open later this week.

To make up for the lost days of pool time, Dudley Council’s leisure chief has offered an extra weekend of free swimming for kids at the Stourbridge leisure pool on Saturday November 6 and Sunday November 7.

Councillor Simon Phipps, the authority's cabinet member responsible for leisure centres, said: "We apologise for any inconvenience the unexpected closure has caused this half-term and we know families will have been disappointed.

"But we didn’t want children to miss out on their free swimming so I hope families will take up the extended offer in the first weekend of November.”

Any youngster aged 16 and under who lives in the Dudley borough is eligible to take advantage of the offer by registering online at freeswimindudley.co.uk.