Afan Lido fire a disaster waiting to happen

The Chief Fire Officer, in his annual presentation to Neath Port Talbot council last Friday, made a plea for automatic fire suppression systems to be included in all new public buildings, especially schools. He revealed that the Afan Lido, which suffered a severe fire in mid-December, was not equipped with sprinklers, which he was sure would have limited the damage.

Councillor Frank Little, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council, commented: "There may be some excuse for not building in sprinklers to the original 1960s building. However, the benefits were well-known by the late 1990s, when there was a major refurbishment. If sprinklers had been put in then, the council and Celtic Leisure would have been spared serious embarrassment last year."