Hundreds of people staged a public protest outside Portishead's open-air pool in an attempt to fight council plans to close the seafront attraction for good.

More than 200 people waving banners and chanting "don't be cruel, save our pool" met at the pool last night to show North Somerset Council the strength of their support for keeping the lido open.

The pool closed for the summer 2008 season at the end of September and campaigners fear it may never open again after council chiefs said it costs around £130,000 each year to run.

A special review panel, set up by the authority to investigate the running costs of the pool, is recommending it is closed and the site sold off.

The protest was organised by local businessman and pool campaigner Roger Whitfield.

Mr Whitfield, who runs Nortech Computers in the town, said he was delighted to see so many people at the protest.

Mr Whitfield, 43, said: "To see so many people at the protest just proves how strongly people feel about keeping the pool open. It shows that people are prepared to stand up and fight for what they believe is an important facility in Portishead."

A petition set up against the closure plans has already collected several hundred signatures from angry pool users.

Campaigners plan to hand the petition to the council's executive when it meets later this month.

Posters have also been put up at shops across the town and leaflets handed to hundreds of people telling them about the campaign.

Pool supporters at the protest said they would continue to stand firm against the council's closure plans.

Colin Baser, 76, of The Vale, is a member of the Portishead Loafers swimming club and is a regular user of the pool.

Mr Baser said: "I come here as often as I can and the pool is a well-used amenity.

"The council cannot seem to get its figures right on how much it costs to run the pool and I think the decision to close it is wrong and should be put before the local government ombudsman."

Kerry Birth, 25, of Woodacre, Portishead, said the pool was important for future generations in the town.

Mrs Birth, a mum of two, said: "It's really bad the council want to close it as so many different ages of people use it.

"I want it to be here for the younger generations in the future."

Fiona Devanny, 27, of The Vale, said: "I used to come to the pool when I was a child in the summer.

"I want my son Alfie to be able to do the same."

Ann Dellacassa, 69, of Beach Road West, said Portishead was in desperate need of facilities.

Mrs Dellacassa said: "We came to the pool when it first opened.

"Portishead is growing so fast, it needs amenities like this."

Nine-year-old Highdown Junior School pupil Victoria Johnston attended the protest with a group of friends. The youngsters had made special posters and banners to wave at the event.

Victoria said: "We have our school swimming galas up here and have lots of happy memories of the pool.

"A lot of us use it during the summer too and we don't want it to close."

The report and recommendation by the review panel is now being scrutinised by the Strategic Planning and Economic Development Policy and Scrutiny Panel.

The panel was initially given just 17 working days to give its recommendations before the executive meet to make a final decision at the end of the this month. But panel members have said 17 days is not long enough to consider the report fully and have asked for the timescale to be extended to four months.