'Totally irresponsible and illegal' - exploration filming at Swindon's Oasis SLAMMED
Key stakeholders of the Leisure Centre have responded to the footage
Last updated 2nd Feb 2021
Bosses at Swindon's Oasis say they're "horrified", after online footage emerged showing people at the Leisure Centre whilst it was closed to the public.
Earlier this month, a YouTube video was posted of two men uncovering the site's current state.
Smells like 'mouldy spaghetti'
During the film, they claim the Oasis is "falling down", describing the swimming area as "damp and mouldy".
The males recording the footage then highlight that the showers have been "ripped" out, adding that one of the staff rooms smells like "mouldy spaghetti".
The video has since been watched more than 20,000 times. It can be seen in full below:
'We were horrified'
Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL), the site's current leaseholder, has now improved security there.
The operator told Greatest Hits Radio: "We were horrified to find that the Oasis Leisure Centre had been broken into.
"The intruders broke a lock and chain and damaged a roller door when entering. They also put themselves at risk while inside the unoccupied building, that houses mechanical plant and machinery.
"Their behaviour was both totally irresponsible and illegal".
The males in the video dispute they "broke into" the facility, claiming a door was left open.
Swindon Borough Council's Leader, Cllr David Renard, branded the footage "distinctly unhelpful".
'Couldn't find anything suspicious'
According to Wiltshire Police, officers were called to the Oasis after an alarm activation during the early hours of January 5.
It's thought this was the date of filming.
The force added: "Officers attended and carried out a search of the site and couldn’t find anything suspicious".
Kirbz Vids
The YouTube channel in question has previously shared other investigative videos that were recorded in our region.
'Kirbz Vids' also filmed at Swindon's abandoned YMCA Nightclub and a Thames Water bunker near Latton.
In December, the urban explorers posted a video of several men climbing the Oasis' dome, seemingly in protest against the site's indefinite closure.
GLL announced it would not be re-opening the Leisure Centre after lockdown the previous month, citing "extremely challenging operating conditions" due to the pandemic.
What's next for the Oasis?
A petition to save the iconic facility has gained more than 2,000 signatures, calling the Oasis one of Swindon's "most valued and known places".
The Borough Council has since told us it's "so keen" to get it the site up-and-running once more.
The authority has now formed an Oasis taskforce, "to ensure another 50 years of enjoyment for local people and people who come from further afield".