A new cleaning company has been hired to improve conditions at Borehamwood's Venue leisure centre.

Since the £18 million centre opened last October, a series of disgruntled customers have contacted the Borehamwood & Elstree Times, to complain about the poor standard of cleanliness at the pool and changing room areas.

In April The Venue's owner and operator, Hertsmere Borough Council, decided to bring in a new cleaning company, and this week its acting area manager, Ian Pluck, apologised for the state of the centre over recent weeks.

"Hertsmere Leisure Operations shares the concerns of its customers and apologises that in recent weeks, the standard of cleanliness at The Venue has not been as high as expected."

He said a new cleaning company had started at the centre on Monday, and added: "Customers should notice a significant improvement in cleanliness immediately. The new contractor, a local company, is committed to high standards of service and cleanliness."

Debbie Conyard, a coach with the Hertsmere Flyers Swimming Club, said many parents were concerned at the state of the leisure centre.

She said because there was no barrier to separate the swimming and non-swimming areas, people could walk around near the pool with their shoes on, making it muddy.

"In the old pool swimmers went through one door, and there was a foot bath area."

She said she hoped the new cleaners would improve the centre, and that a permanent lighting system would be introduced soon, to replace the original lights, which were switched off in March after developing an electrical fault.

Stan Mason from Caishowe Road, a pensioner whose wife swims at The Venue almost every day, said he had been complaining to staff for months, and was glad to see something being done about it.

"People were getting frustrated. Things didn't work, for example doors didn't lock in the changing rooms, so a woman would be changing and a man could walk in."