Mother claims she was refused entry to swimming pool because she had three children aged under five

Mother and her three children under five are REFUSED entry to a swimming pool because staff said she would be unable to look after all of them

  • Mother was refused entry into her local pool as she had three children with her
  • Bridget Murphy took three children under five to Angelo Anestis Aquatic Centre
  • She was refused entry as every child under six must be with by one adult each

A mother has slammed her local pool for refusing her entry because she had three children with her under the age of five.

Bridget Murphy wanted to take her three children on a day out to the Angelo Anestis Aquatic Centre in Bexley, southern Sydney, on October 17.

However, she was refused entry due to the policy that every child under six years old must be accompanied by one adult each.

Bridget Murphy wanted to take her three children on a day out to the Angelo Anestis Aquatic Centre (pictured) in Bexley, southern Sydney, on October 17

She was refused entry due to the policy that every child under six years old must be accompanied by one adult each

She was refused entry due to the policy that every child under six years old must be accompanied by one adult each

‘I got to the desk and they said, “We can’t let you in because you have got three kids”,’ she told the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader.

The mother-of-three was told that the condition was a part of Royal Life Saving Australia’s ‘stay within arm’s policy.

While she agrees with the policy Mrs Murphy believes the management of the Bexley pool may have interpreted it differently to other locations.

‘The manager informed me that the policy means one adult is required for every child under six years in the pool,’ she said. 

Mrs Murphy can now no longer take her children to the pool unless she also takes her husband and another adult.

She was disappointed and said it was awkward having to take her children to the pool only to tell them they can’t actually go inside.

‘My kids have lost the chance to learn to swim in that pool,’ she said.

She was especially disheartened by the event as she had been a club captain at the Bexley Swimming Club and also worked at the pool for years.

She said there were no issues when she wanted to bring her children to the pool last year, and frequented it during the entire season.

The mother-of-three was told that the condition was a part of Royal Life Saving Australia's 'stay within arm's policy (stock image)

The mother-of-three was told that the condition was a part of Royal Life Saving Australia’s ‘stay within arm’s policy (stock image)

While Mrs Murphy supports the advice to ‘stay in arms reach’ of children under five years old, she said the one adult to one child rule excludes families.

The young family now choose to go to Enfield pool where they have found it is friendlier for children and interpret the policy differently.

Angelo Anestis Aquatic Centre told Daily Mail Australia that the policy had previously been enforced without any issues. 

‘This is a condition of the terms of entry applied at Bexley,’ a spokesman said.

‘We interpret the “within arms reach” policy here differently based on the depths of the water.

‘The facility has been open for two-and-a-half years and the policy has been enforced “as best as possible without an issue at all”.’ 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk