SWIMMERS had to evacuate the Wycombe Sports Centre still in their costumes this morning after a fire broke out.

Everyone inside the centre, in Marlow Hill, had to rush outside the building after a lighting fixing on the roof caught fire in the pool at around 7am.

Debris started to fall into the water and the swimmers, some of whom were children, had to wait outside in the cold as the whole building was evacuated.

Nobody was hurt in the incident and High Wycombe station manager, John Bull, praised the centre for how well it implemented its evacuation plan.

By the time the three fire crews from High Wycombe arrived, everyone was already outside and the swimmers were wrapped in space blankets.

Once the fire was contained, the centre users and staff were allowed to enter the entrance area.

It took fire fighters an hour to tackle the blaze.

A turntable ladder was taken to the centre but was not used.

Station manager Bull said: "It was not a serious fire at all. It was difficult to access it as it is very narrow in places.

"There was no access from below because of the water so we had to access it from above."

The pool remains shut at the moment but the rest of the centre is still operating as normal.