The NSC pool refurbishment has been delayed yet again.

A specialist UK contractor who was due to travel to the island last weekend to begin work on the flume staircase and platforms has been forced to cancel at the last minute.

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) said he had done so for personal reasons.

In a statement, the department said: ’Following the end of the lockdown we invited a local team to put up the scaffold needed to begin work on the flume staircase and platforms.

’The specialist contractor was secured to travel to the island from the UK from Sunday April 25, which due to public health advice required all swimming facilities to be closed.

’Unfortunately due to personal circumstances the contractor cancelled their visit at the last minute, and we reopened the pool on Saturday April 24.’

The DESC will advise on the future closures needed to carry out the works as soon as they have been rescheduled.

Education Minister Dr Alex Allinson had told Tynwald only last week that the whole National Sports Centre pool facility, including the new flumes, were planned to be back in operation in time for the school summer holidays.

He said once the contractor arrives, their work on the project is expected to take five weeks and it will take a further seven weeks to complete the overall project and prepare the pool for a full reopening.

The NSC flume saga has been branded a national embarrassment.

Problems with the manufacture and installation of the new flumes have caused a lengthy delay to the £3.8m pool refurbishment project, which started in August 2017 and was meant to be completed April 2019.

When the spiral staircase for the flume was delivered it was found to have been damaged in transit and when installed the flume run-out clashed with the duct work.

The stair column’s tread sections didn’t fit properly, there were no landings and inner handrail and there was significant movement when standing at the top on the flume entry platform.

Final cost of the project is now expected to be £4.2m with Tynwald asked last November to support a £227,085 increase in funding to allow for the work to be finished.