A BACKSTROKE ban has been slapped on swimmers at a council-run pool at busy times -- because it is too dangerous.

Daisyfield Swimming Pool in Blackburn is believed to be one of the first in the country to implement such a ban.

The ban has angered some local swimmers.

Burnley-based mechanic Steve McCann, aged 40, who uses the pool with his two daughters, said: "They will probably ban breast stroke next for it being rude. We really are living in a very pedantic society."

New guidelines suggested by The Institute of Sport and Recreation Management urge councils to consider the ban as a health and safety measure, and Blackburn with Darwen Council has decided to implement it immediately.

It is hoped the move will prevent any legal action against the council if a swimmer doing backstroke collides with someone or hits the edges of the pool.

Bolton Council said today it had no plans to implement a similar ban.

Last year, the council was the first to ban picture-taking mobile phones from its baths amid fears they could be used by paedophiles to take pictures of semi-naked children.

Daisyfield Swimming Pool in Belper Street, Blackburn - the only pool in the borough to currently enforce the rule - is a deck access pool, where the water level meets the edge of the pool walls and has no permanent overhead safety flags in place denoting the end of the swimming area.

Ruth Marriner of Pioneer 79 Swim Club today welcomed the move after her 13-year-old son knocked himself unconscious during a training session at Hyndburn baths where there were no marker flags.

She said: "Back stroke is not popular. Children very rarely like doing it because you don't know where you are.

"In open sessions when people are doing lengths and widths it is already chaotic and its bad enough with people coming at you doing front crawl."

Phillip Corner, a member of Blackburn Centurions swimming club, said: "I can see the borough's point of view if it is a busy session.

"If there was a 15-stone man swimming back stroke and a little girl was swimming across it is a recipe for disaster.

"However, our whole society is mollycoddled so I am not at all surprised by this.

"If there is an accident they want someone to blame and when something like this happens which is a bit daft they complain.

"In this day of litigation the public sometimes want it both ways. "

Steve Rigby, executive director of culture, leisure and sport, at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said: "Lane swimming at Daisyfield Pool is proving very popular, and this has resulted in us requesting that people do not swim back-stroke during these busy sessions, in order to avoid any dangerous collisions.

"We encourage those who wish to swim back-stroke to visit at quieter times of the day."

Last year, a water polo team was banned from practising at the venue because of the fear that stray balls were a danger to the players.