IT CERTAINLY wasn't the weather for swimming when MP Tim Yeo visited Highworth pool.

The shadow secretary of state for the environment and transport clutched an umbrella as he heard how plans for a pool roof had finally come to fruition.

Residents have wanted a roof on the lido since it opened in the 1960s.

Now, after years of fundraising, £400,000 has been raised for a retractable ceiling.

Mr Yeo on a tour of the Swindon area was impressed with the dedication of the Raise the Roof appeal.

"It's hugely exciting for Highworth, and it has the potential to increase the enjoyment of the pool because it will open all year," he said.

The Tory MP for Suffolk South also heard about the town's successful kerbside recycling scheme.

Since being launched in July, the pilot scheme has been taken up by 85 per cent of households.

Twenty tonnes of bottles, cans and newspapers are collected every week.

"It just shows how enthusiastic people are about recycling if the service is provided," he said.