A 47-year-old British woman has been told by her city council that the 2-foot-deep wading pool in her yard must have insurance coverage and a lifeguard, The Daily Mail reported.
Lourdes Maxwell, who has put the wading pool in her yard every summer for her kids, grandchildren and neighbors for 24 years, was shocked by the "pathetic" ruling.
The health and safety ruling from the Portsmouth, England, city council came after Maxwell wrote to the city asking for permission to put in a bigger pool. She was told that it was too dangerous, and she must empty her existing wading pool, according to the Mail.
The council eventually softened its stance, saying that Maxwell could have the wading pool, but only with a licensed lifeguard and insurance.
"I asked around for insurance and they just laughed at me,” Maxwell told the Mail. “No one offers insurance for paddling pools. I'm always there to supervise but they're trying to tell me I need lifeguards for a kiddies' pool as well — it's crazy."
The Portsmouth Council’s neighborhood manager, Nigel Selley, defended the decision on Monday.
"We did not have sufficient assurances that the risks associated with providing such a facility would be well-managed,” Selley told the Mail.
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