STAFF at Elms Bank High School were overjoyed yesterday (February 7) when they learned their dreams of a £100,000 hydrotherapy pool would come true.

The Whitefield special school wants the pool to help boost the development of physically disabled pupils, and had all but given up hope before yesterday's announcement.

"We have been fund-raising for three years and we had decided just to get a jacuzzi," said head teacher Lynn Lines.

But the staff were delighted to learn yesterday that a bid under the Schools Regeneration Challenge Fund had been successful.

They have now been given permission to borrow the £100,000 needed to complete the scheme - and work is due to start very soon.

The rest of the cash has been raised through a combination of fund-raising and the sale of a small parcel of land.

"We will now be able to buy the pool, two changing rooms, a recovery room and access equipment," said Ms Lines.

The school will also get a further £10,000 to help pay for security measures.

ZPrestwich's Parrenthorn High School, hit by arsonists two years ago, has netted £4,000 under the scheme to pay for extra security.

Under the Challenge Bid, schools have to raise their own funds from the private sector, and then are given permission to borrow extra money for building work.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.