A FIRST ever view of Worcester's new £10.5 million swimming pool can today be revealed - with campaigners calling it "hugely exciting".

This picture shows the main hall with the huge pool now filled with water ready to welcome in the next generation of swimmers.

The image shows all eight lanes spread across 25 metres to whet the appetite of families, children and swimmers as the clock ticks down to the grand opening just 19 days away.

In recent months the landscape at Perdiswell Leisure Centre has been transformed, with the site being extended and cladded in a bright green hue to make a statement for passing drivers.

But now the insides are all but finished, with people expected to pack the building on Saturday, January 7 when the doors are flung open.

Simon Richards, chairman of Worcester Swimming Club, said: "It's hugely, hugely exciting and a fantastic step forward for the whole city and the wider county.

"This is the culmination of 10 years' work from so many people.

"We've said all along this isn't a pool for the swimming club, it's for people across the city and beyond."

Cllr Jabba Riaz, cabinet member for clean, green and leisure services, said: "Work on the pool is nearly finished, and you can now see what a fantastic new leisure facility this is going to be.

"I’m very proud that it's fully accessible to everyone and I can't wait to see how excited the first swimmers are when the doors open."

The pool will be able to host regional competitions, with city leaders hoping to see the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic medal winners in action.

It has also been designed to be suitable for swimmers of all abilities and will feature an 18x10 metre teaching pool with a movable floor.

Work at the site, off Bilford Road, has been taking shape for 13 months, with the facility expected to attract visitors from across the UK.

The pool measures 25 metres by 17 metres and boasts poolside seating for 284 spectators, with a further 116 seats around the poolside for swimmers.

A new gym, spin and fitness studio and sports hall is also part of the building's wider revamp, with the whole project fully complete by March.