Tessa Jowell leads campaign to stop gym company closing 12 swimming pools.

A row has broken out as a fitness chain is set to close 12 swimming pools across London after taking over another company.

PureGym bought the leisure centre companyLA Fitness in May and is now transforming the sites into gym-only centres where members can buy rolling monthly contracts. Currently the LA Fitness gym advertises:

No contract. No catch. No excuse.

and is still advertising gym membership on this basis

Among the pools closing down are those at branches in Piccadilly, Holborn and Muswell Hill, St Paul’s and Victoria.

Former LA Fitness members are automatically transferred to PureGym but can opt out. 

Tessa Jowell, Keir Starmer MP and former Silent Witness star William Gaminara are campaigning to keep their pool in Kentish Town open, and are working with another group in Orpington.