DEVIZES School has stepped in to rescue youngsters at Bishops Cannings Primary School who lost out on swimming lessons.

Bishops Cannings Primary School had expected to send its pupils to swim at the White Horse Leisure Centre in Calne, as it has done for the past 20 years.

But the school was stunned to be told at the beginning of term that the pupils could not use the pool as John Bentley School in Calne had taken up more of its allotted time.

John Bentley School has an agreement with the leisure centre that its pupils can have up to 30 hours of swimming time a week.

The leisure centre told Bishops Cannings Primary School's headteacher David Wade that it would review the situation in January.

A teacher at Devizes School read about the pupils' plight in the Gazette and headteacher Malcolm Irons offered up a spare slot in its sessions at Devizes Leisure Centre.

Mr Wade said: "Devizes School took pity on us. They have been very kind and have offered us a slot.

"We are in the process of sorting out times and numbers of pupils and hope to start sending children swimming in November after half term."

Mr Irons said: "Having seen the article in the paper it seemed sensible to have a look and see what we could do. It was nice to help out a fellow school."