A regional daily has warned young lives will be put at risk unless action is taken to prevent its patch from becoming a “swimming pool desert”.

The Yorkshire Post has called for action after research by its publisher JPIMedia revealed the difference between Yorkshire’s provision for swimming and that of the South-East of England is the equivalent of 39 Olympic pools.

JPIMedia’s investigation found here are 118 public pools across Yorkshire and the Humber, the equivalent of 867 square metres per 100,000 people in the region.

By comparison, the South-East has 1048 square metres per 100,000 people, while the South-West has 1,068.

The Leeds-based Post splashed on the findings yesterday, pictured above.

An accompanying editorial reads: “The public baths where gold medal winners like Adam Peaty, Duncan Scott and Tom Dean began their sporting careers are also vital if every 11-year-old is to leave primary school with sufficient skills to stay safe in water – a National Curriculum objective.

“This is the most important lesson of all – swimming is a life skill and its wider importance to the health and wellbeing of the nation is such that the Government now needs to be working with councils, and others, on how best to develop, and fund, a new generation of pools.

“The lives of youngsters depend on this and political leaders should no longer regard this issue as an after-thought; swimming, after all, is on the National Curriculum for a reason and more data on the number of 11-year-olds able to swim needs to be published.

“Yet, for this to happen, thousands more qualified coaches also need to be identified and trained to teach children – and also many parents – the rudiments of water safety and perhaps develop swimming’s equivalent of Sure Start to reach out to those youngsters whose parents cannot afford lessons.

“Thanks to Team GB’s Olympians, there is a chance to make a difference. It needs to be taken before more pools shut.”