FEBRUARY 9 - THE World Life Saving Championships, due to be held in Newquay next year and billed as the biggest event to be held in Britain before t he London 2012 Olympics, are in serious danger of being moved.

 

Surf Life Saving Great Britain (SLSGB) have told the International Life Saving (ILS) that original proposals must either be scaled down or held with national teams only.

 

Fistral Beach was set to take centre during the games, dubbed Rescue 2010, but a row over funding for a 50-metre pool, to be sited on the car park, threw a spanner into the works.

 

In a statement released, SLSGB said: “Surf Life Saving GB bid for, and won, the rights to host the event back in 2007.

 

"However, during 2008 encountered major issues around the requirement for a 50m pool, as there is no such facility in Devon or Cornwall, this has been compounded by the huge infrastructure required for an event with 4,000 competitors, all at a time when the economic climate has made generating corporate sponsorship and grant funding difficult.

Surf Life Saving GB have informed ILS that it cannot host event in the original format, but have said they would consider hosting a scaled down event with national teams only.

 

A decision is expected next month.

 

The possibility of Newquay losing Rescue 2010 is expected to see the Westcountry miss out on a tourism windfall - estimated to be in the region of £20 million.

 

More than 4,000 competitors were expected to flock to Cornwall to take part in the event, which sees lifeguards from across the world come together to compete in pool and sea events and is bigger than the Commonwealth Games.

 

Surf Life Saving GB, was believed to be looking for an alternative venue because it cannot secure an Olympic-sized pool for the Fistral site.

 

The plan was to have a temporary 50-metre pool placed on the car park at Fistral Beach for pool events at the games.

 

This was to be loaned by the Olympic Delivery Authority, but the cost of installing the pool on site was expected to be picked up by someone else.

 

Cornwall County Council says it has been pressured to pay to move a temporary one in for the Games, but has always vowed it would “not be blackmailed” into footing the bill.

 

Meanwhile, Newquay Council are set to ask back for £10,000 they gave to the organisers to help fund a feasability study.

 

Counciloor Pat Lambshead said: "As the Championships look as if they are not coming to Newquay then the money given to the organisers should be refunded.

 

"They have reneged on their original plans."