THE final nail in the coffin of the Droitwich Lido looks set to be hammered in next week unless the people of the town can come to its rescue.

It is expected that Wychavon District Council will wipe its hands of the dilapidated site during a meeting of the Executive Board on Tuesday night.

Instead, councillors have recommended placing the responsibility of restoring it firmly with campaign group SALT (Save A Lido Today).

A report by the council leader, Councillor Martin Jennings, suggests members give SALT the option of coming up "with a viable business case for restoring and running the facility".

The idea would mean setting up a charitable trust and raising more than £500,000 in the next six months.

And while it may seem a tall order, if not an impossible one, SALT has warned that the Lido is not yet sunk.

"I think this is a bit of a cop-out by the council, but if we are being given the opportunity to do something, then we will do our very best," said SALT spokesman, Peter Regan.

"To form a charitable trust will take time and if we do take the Lido on, then it would be along the lines of the plans originally drawn up by the council.

"That is, a minimalist option, to carry out a limited range of repairs to enable the Lido to be re-opened as soon as possible.

"We have fought long and hard to keep the Lido open and we are not going to give up now."

The Lido has been closed since 2001 when Wychavon District Council faced a £100,000 repair bill.

Since then, it has gone from one disaster to another, with private firms pulling out of plans, and proposals by Wychavon District Council taking a dive.

Now it seems as though SALT really is the Lido's last chance.

But as Mr Regan pointed out, the group's dozen or so members cannot do it on their own.

"We need help from the council and as much backing from the public and local companies as we can get," he said.

"Everyone I meet in Droitwich wants to know what is happening with the Lido. A chap who fitted my TV aerial the other day even wished me good luck.

"But we need people to do more than talk. We want as many people as possible to turn up to the meeting on Tuesday night to tell the council how they feel.

"And if the council does decide that the future of the Lido lies in our hands, we will need their help then too."

Wychavon District Council's Executive Board Meeting takes place at The Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, on Tuesday, March 30, at 6.15pm.