PUPILS at a Torfaen school made a video campaigning to have swimming lessons at their local pool rather than commute six miles to Cwmbran.

Pontymoile Primary School pupils currently make a 40-minute round bus trip to Fairwater leisure centre in Cwmbran to swim rather than using Pontypool leisure centre, which is only 700 metres away.

Year five pupils have made a video entitled Walk It To Swim It expressing their frustration at there being no room for their lessons at their local pool despite other schools' lessons being accommodated.

In the video they measured travel times and discovered it took them eight minutes and 50 seconds to walk to Pontypool leisure centre, while the journey to Cwmbran took around 20 minutes but can take up to an hour.

Headteacher Sam Bevan said: "We're an eco school and going for a Green Flag award. One of our priorities was walking rather than using buses and cars, and the children flagged up the issue of them having to use a bus to get to swimming when they could have lessons much closer."

The school had to ask parents for a £2.50 contribution to pay for the bus to take the pupils to Fairwater Leisure Centre.

A Torfaen council spokesman said: "Pontymoile School is currently timetabled for swimming at Fairwater in response to a request made by the previous head teacher.

"Pontymoile's head teacher is on our planning group to draw up the next swimming programme and we are requesting all schools bear with us until together with schools we agree a revised programme."