MORE than 5,000 young people in Burnley have been causing a splash after signing up for free swimming with the borough council.

Six months on from the launch of free swimming in Burnley’s leisure centres, 5,140 of Burnley’s young people have signed up to take advantage of the national scheme – one-in-three of Burnley’s under-16s.

Coun Charles Bullas, executive member for leisure and culture, said: “We should be proud of Burnley’s state-of- the-art leisure facilities and the hard work that goes into making them a success.

“Keeping children fit and active has never been more important. However, swimming is not the only way to keep children active.

“We have some great sports and recreation services here in Burnley, as well as sublime parklands, so there’s no excuse not to get active.”

The figures come only days after a survey by the British Heart Foundation suggested just one-in-eight young people get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day.

Laura Leverentz, Burnley Council’s children’s healthy lifestyles co-ordinator, said she was encouraged by the response to the scheme.

She said: “Keeping young people fit and active has now become a priority for parents.

“Swimming is the country’s most popular sporting activity and free swimming is a great way to give young people an activity that keeps them healthy.”