The friend of a 32-year-old Korean man who drowned at the Malden Centre swimming pool this year, has vowed to take civil action against the pool's management and Kingston Council.

Peter Song wants the swimming pool in Blagdon Road, New Malden, to improve safety after taking what he feels were inadequate steps to ensure swimmers' safety.

Last Friday, a jury at West London Coroner's Court found Kil-Lae No's drowning in March this year was an accidental death.

Mr No was a strong swimmer and the pathologist found no traces of drugs or alcohol in his blood and no apparent reason for the accident.

But Mr Song wants some blame apportioned to the pool and its management despite a Health and Safety Executive testifying that the death was not the fault of the pool.

Mr Song said: "The HSE book only gives guidelines as to what pools should do. It is not specific enough. The pool should have been better lit and there should be CCTV in the pool hall itself."

One of the main reasons for Mr Song's indignation was the testimony of the lifeguards on duty when Mr No died.

They said in court they had not seen Mr No go under or even seen him struggle to remain afloat.

It was a 10-year-old girl who alerted lifeguards as they could not see to the bottom on the day as it was busy and the water was choppy.

The illumination of the pool is an issue Mr Song wants to see corrected immediately. There are no lights under the surface, although this is not a legal requirement.

He said: "If you cannot see the bottom of the pool how could Mr No stand a chance."

A spokesman for Kingston Council said: "The Health and Safety Executive said that the pool had conformed to the law and that included all the non-statutory recommendations."

December 27, 2001 15:30