A third of primary school children 'can't swim'

According to the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), many children are not getting swimming lessons at primary school, despite being a mandatory part of the curriculum.

It's found more than a third of children can't swim by the time they leave primary school.

At Towcester Leisure Centre lessons are held everyday during term time for schools across the area. It's a partnership the ASA says is working.

In fact South Northamptonshire is the best in the country with 91% of children being able to swim 25 metres unaided.

In our region they were closely followed by Cambridge at 70% and Peterborough at 61% but Milton Keynes, was rated as one of worst areas in the country with only 40% of children being able to swim the distance.

With 1 in 6 adults unable to swim and around 200,000 children unable to swim by the time they leave primary school, the ASA says it's vital the sport remains on the national curriculum.