Invitation to swim like a mermaid

Swimming instructor Jenny Ruscoe has just set up the Fins and Tails Mermaid Academy.

Her school will offers Fin2Fit classes for children at Penwortham Leisure Centre and Swimscool in Southport from next month.

Students in the swim will be able to adopt the roles of mermaid or shark with the help of special mermaid or dark fin like tails.

Jenny, from Banks, near Tarleton, said: “I’ve been a swimming teacher for 14 years and this is just trying to offer them something different and new, something exciting, something to keep them interested in swimming and keep them fit.”

Jenny continued: “There’s a chance for parents to take photos of the children wearing tails and the children can get in the water and experience swimming like a mermaid or shark.”

The new sport has started to boom following the popularity of movies such as ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘Splash’ and TV series ‘Mako Mermaids’.

• Lifesaving organisations issued warnings in the summer following unsupervised swimming with tails in unmonitored areas.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has teamed up with Fin2Fit and has warned parents to allow use of such tails only in classes led by professional teachers.

In November last year the RLSS, to which Jenny is affiliated, announced a partnership with Fin2Fit, to “ensure that more children receive water safety education whilst learning to swim and gaining confidence in water in an incredibly fun way.”