The Dunedin City Council has banned mermaid tails from its swimming pools.
The novelty swimming togs posed a danger to pool users, recreation planning and facilities manager, Jendi Paterson said in a statement today.
- Have you got one of these tails, or seen them in action? Contact ODT reporters on 479 3525.
The Auckland Council banned the swimming toys, which allow the wearer to swim like a mermaid by strapping their legs together into a tail, a fortnight ago.
The tails have also been banned in other parts of the world, due to the concerns about safety.
"The swimmer uses the tail to try move through the water, but both legs being encapsulated in the tail stops the swimmer from being able to use each leg freely. This limits their ability to swim, move in the water easily and put their feet down," said Ms Paterson.
The tails also encouraged swimmers to stay longer under the water without air, which could lead to dangerous situations.
"We do not want our pool users to be injured or have a negative experience, which could impact their confidence in the water.
"There are a number of devices our customers can use in the water safely and for extra fun - however the mermaid tail is not one of them. We want to encourage our swimmers to enjoy our aquatic facilities in a safe way," says Ms Paterson.
