CAMPAIGNERS want to know why Castle Point Council cannot afford to save Canvey’s much-loved paddling pool, despite its healthy finances.

In January, the council said it was too costly to pay £56,000 to bring the seafront tidal pool up to health and safety standards and cover further on-going costs.

Now the council has revealed it under-spent by more than £1million last year, leaving campaigners furious that some of the saved money was not spent on the pool.

Lea Swann, leader of the Protect Our Pool campaign, said: “It’s ludicrous.

“They obviously don’t care what the public think, they should be more accountable to the local electorate who pay their wages.”

Jeffrey Stanley, the council’s finance chief, said the paddling pool was not essential because it is one of two tidal pools on the seafront.

He said: “We’ve said all along there are two paddling pools down there and the authority can only afford to pay for the upkeep of one of them.

“It would be wonderful to afford everything, but it simply isn’t prudent financial management.”

Thousand have signed up to the Echo-backed Protect Our Pool campaign after the council voted to demolish the pool in January.

Castle Point Council is considering the possibility of Canvey Town Council taking over the management of the pool in a bid to save it.