DEFIANT district councillor David Meacock is claiming a victory after slamming leisure centre bosses for what he says is a low standard of facilities.

Cllr Meacock, who regularly swims at Chalfont Leisure Centre, Nicol Road, Chalfont St Peter, says he has noticed a change for the better since causing an uproar at a meeting of Chiltern District Council's community and leisure services committee, last week.

The committee's chairman Cllr Linda Smith (Con, Chalfont Common), however, said this week that she fully supported the centre's management, which was running a "magnificent" facility within severe budget constraints.

At the meeting Cllr Meacock was stopped from reading a prepared statement calling for the resignation of Tom Clitherow, chief executive of Chiltern Leisure Trust which runs the centre, unless the situation improved by June 1.

Cllr Meacock (Con, Gold Hill, Chalfont St Peter) says that in the last week the toilets have been fixed and the pool's clock is now working.

He said: "It is having its effect. Everybody has gained from this. I'm prepared to stand up even if it causes embarrassment to some quarters."

He added that he was appalled by another councillor who supported the centre even though he claimed she had not even been there.

In reply to his accusation Cllr Gusty Cotterell, (Lib Dem, Amersham-on-the-Hill) said: "I am on that committee (community and leisure services) and we were all over there looking at the facilities and I couldn't see anything wrong. He wants to leave it alone."

Last week Gill Mace, operations director of the centre, invited Cllr Meacock to the centre to discuss his concerns.

She added: "We regret that Cllr Meacock did not bring these matters to the attention of centre management at the time he had the experiences."

Tom Clitherow, chief executive of Chiltern Leisure Trust said: "We issued our reasons and there is no further comment."