EXCLUSIVE: North Lanarkshire Council moves to quash rumours of chlorine leak at Time Capsule

North Lanarkshire Council is looking to reassure parents that the Time Capsule swimming pool is safe - after rumours of a chlorine gas leak were shared on social media more than a thousand times.

Concerned parents posted on Facebook after multiple children started experiencing similar symptoms after visiting during the 9th and 10th of November 2024.

The children reported vomiting, struggling to breathe, difficulty swallowing, coughing, as well as painful, red eyes and throats.

The families worried that the sickness could be linked to the inhalation of chlorine gas at the swimming pool, after five children had to be seen by doctors.

The symptoms of chlorine inhalation include coughing, difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat, vomiting, as well as pain in the mouth, stomach eyes and throat.

However, North Lanarkshire Council has strongly denied that there is anything to suggest the illnesses are linked to the pool, and that all chlorine levels were within safe parameters.

'Wholly untrue'

A spokesperson said: "Despite misinformation circulating on social media, the suggestion that any illness is related to a chlorine escape or any other chemical used at the Time Capsule is wholly untrue.

"A young person was sick within the premises and left before a member of staff could check on their welfare and the area was immediately cleaned.

“There has been no escape of any gas. The pool infrastructure has range of sensors which monitor concentration of chlorine which would trigger alarms if this was above acceptable levels.

"The pool plant was operating within safe parameters at all times.”

On Sunday 10th November, the Time Capsule was evacuated in the late afternoon - the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended and deemed it was due to a false alarm.

Children's symptoms

Parents have explained what symptoms their children have been experiencing.

Mum, Lisa McGraith, said: "My son Lennon was there with his friend Ollie on Sunday.

"After going down a flume he was coughing and couldn’t catch his breath. He was chalk white and his eyes were all red.

"He was sick in the toilets at the swimming pool. He then was getting a headache and chest pains before bed on Sunday night and woke up and still had chest pains, so I took him to the hospital to be checked over.

"I was told that normally they would be observed for four hours, but because it was now the next day then they should be fine.

"He still has some pains in his chest today and this was worrying for us all from the start."

'He didn't look himself'

Another mum, Lauren Kennedy, said her eight-year-old son has been off school for days.

She said: "Originally I put it down to a normal bug, but when I read the post on social media about other children becoming unwell, I did panic.

"I could see straight away that he didn't look himself at all, he had a sore head, sore throat and was struggling to swallow.

"He was up again last night with the same symptoms and I phoned the doctor first thing this morning.

"His eyes are still pretty red and his head is still sore.

"He has had quite a bit of tightness in his chest and he's still telling me that he has a burning feeling in his throat."

Danielle Mellon said her son Kai, 12, also experienced similar symptoms: "He told me he felt as though his throat was closing up and his chest was sore. His eyes were quite red and he told me he'd been sick at the pool.

"The next day he said he still had the chest pains and that his breathing felt funny.

"He said that his chest felt tight and just not quite right."

'Get the children checked out'

Local MSP, Fulton Macgregor said: "I have contacted North Lanarkshire Council following the concerns that have been raised on social media and I've been given very strong assurances that Time Capsule has met all the various safety standards.

"They do not believe that Time Capsule is what has caused any illness and that it is safe to use and is open to members of the public.

"However, I think it's also very, very important that any parents who have concerns about their children who have become unwell following the weekend, that they seek appropriate medical advice.

"Firstly, and most importantly, to get the children checked out and secondly, so that that information can be collected by health professionals to determine if there is anything else there that needs to be further investigated.

"But the information I have at the moment is that the time capsule has not been the cause of the illnesses and is safe to use."

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