Women have been banned from a British swimming pool so that Muslim men can have it to themselves for a weekly men-only session.
No females can attend sessions at the publicly-funded Inspire Sports village in Luton, Bedfordshire, (pictured above) while the so-called Alhamdulliah swimming event takes place.
The subsidised event has a strictly-enforced Islamic dress code which forced men to cover up more than usual – and makes sure that women are nowhere near the pool.
Female swimmers have attacked the operators for handing over a popular slot – 8.30pm to 9.30pm – to “one section of the community” who have been able to secure the slot.
They have been allowed access to the 50m, Olympic-sized pool for the event.
Meanwhile, women who wish to swim are relegated to the 9pm-10pm slot and must make do with the smaller 20m learner pool.
A Facebook event for the men’s sessions – dubbed “The Strong Believer” – boasted that the event – which once struggled to get enough attendees – would now continue on a “permanent” basis.
One local, who spoke to MailOnline about the situation, said: “‘The Friday night session for everyone is now closed because of the listed men-only sessions.
“I have asked a team leader about it – as there are no managers at the weekend – and he said it was a ‘cultural thing’.
“Why has one section of the community in Luton been allowed to dominate and take over the best pool in the borough?
“I like swimming in the competition pool after a hard week at work on Fridays and now I can’t without any discussion and very little advanced notice.”
Heat Street attempted to approach the organisers of the swimming sessions, but the mobile phone number provided either cut out immediately, or went to voicemail.
A spokesman for Luton Borough Council, which hands over substantial amounts of cash to the swimming pool operators, effectively dodged the issue.
He said: “We regularly provide opportunities for different groups in our programme, including many different activities and swimming sessions.
“Active Luton aims to provide everyone in our community, regardless of age, ability or ethnicity, with affordable and accessible opportunities to get active in ways which suit their wide-ranging needs and lifestyles.”