TALENTED young swimmers took to the water as part of a festival aimed at improving their abilities further.The Active Sports Swim Festival saw 16 youngsters, aged between eight and 11, taking part in a varied programme of swimming-related events, focussing on flexibility, strokes, turns and culminating in a series of fun races.

TALENTED young swimmers took to the water as part of a festival aimed at improving their abilities further.

The Active Sports Swim Festival saw 16 youngsters, aged between eight and 11, taking part in a varied programme of swimming-related events, focussing on flexibility, strokes, turns and culminating in a series of fun races.

The festival, in its fourth year, was organised by Ipswich borough Council's Sports Development Unit in partnership with the council's Swimming Development Programme, Suffolk Schools' Swimming Service and Ipswich Swimming Club.

All the participants received a festival T-shirt and those who showed the greatest potential were invited to attend an Active Sports Swim Camp, which will be held at the end of the month.

Ian Plowman, council sports development officer, commented that the event had been a huge success.

He said: "Yet again the festival has proved a big hit with all the young swimmers involved.

"The team of coaches and volunteers that work on the festival are excellent - their hard work has helped to make the festival both fun and beneficial to all the young people involved and we hope to build on this success at future festivals and camps."