Free swim and gym sessions during the Easter holidays saw record uptake by young people in West Dunbartonshire.

The overall turnout doubled the previous year's figure.

Almost 1,800 gym and swim visits were recorded during the holidays at facilities including the Meadow Centre in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven's swimming pool and Clydebank Leisure Centre.

Meadow Centre stood out with a total of 1,559 visits, of which 1,182 were for swimming and 356 for the gym.

Councillor Michelle McGinty, chair of the council’s Cost of Living Working Group, said: "It can be a real struggle for families to find activities that keep their children entertained and don't cost money during the school holidays.

"These free swim and gym sessions offered by West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust are very popular and offer young people fun time to spend with their friends and get some exercise but more importantly it offers unlimited free swim and gym sessions that some families might not be able to afford.”

Councillor David McBride, partner director of West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust, added: “This is a fantastic initiative that is proving very popular with our families and goes a long way to help keep children active during the school holidays.

"We understand the financial pressures faced by our families and we know this is amplified when schools are off, due to added requirements to keep children entertained I’m delighted to see the huge increase in young people taking up this offer which will also benefit their health and wellbeing.”