Leia Trigger who wears a specially-made ‘tail’ when she takes to the water so she can “explore as a mythical, amazing, graceful creature” is now searching for new waters.
Until recently she was able to use an indoor pool in her home-town of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. However, management told her they could no longer accommodate the £150 tail for “health and safety reasons”.
Mermaid?!
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Hide AdNot quite. Shop assistant Leia, 18, wears a specially made £150 “tail” when she takes to the water as Mermaid Aries so she can “explore as a mythical, amazing, graceful creature”.
What does it take to become a mermaid?
Leia owns two tails of a Lycra or Spandex-type material and which are vividly decorated – though some silicon models can sell for up to £4,000 each.
She has aspirations to work in children’s entertainment and says she gets “very positive reactions” from people while swimming.
Why the pool ban?
Until recently, she was able to use an indoor pool in her hometown of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. But management told her they could no longer accommodate Leia’s tail in the pool for “health and safety reasons”.
Health and safety gone mad?
The people at the pool might have a point. Leia says: “It’s mainly the health and safety risk. Because the legs are bound together, they are worried that I might get into trouble in the water or that I might end up hitting somebody.”
What will she do?
Leia says that not being able to swim in costume is “a big drawback”. She explained: “It’s more of a case of trying to find somewhere else to swim now, or seeing if there’s another path I can take with this.”