Hurst Pool was awarded top marks after a rigorous, two year assessment by Sport England.

The council-owned pool was rated excellent after the Quest Plus inspection which scores leisure centres on their customer service.

To achieve this glowing accolade the pool was judged on two mystery visits and three days of inspection over two years.

David Jones, general manager of the Molesey pool, said: “We are proud to be recognised as an ‘excellent’ centre.

“This is a fantastic achievement and a real team effort. Quest is much more than a tick-box exercise; it is an ongoing programme to improve our facility for both staff and customers, and a great way to demonstrate our achievements.”

Sprinter and Olympic gold and silver medallist Darren Campbell said: “I would like to congratulate the Hurst Pool. I strongly believe that the whole community should have accessible, affordable and high quality facilities on their doorstep and the Hurst Pool is doing its bit to encourage and inspire people to get more active.”