A potentially life saving electronic surveillance system has been installed at Tollcross International Swimming Centre, which hosted events at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The £340,000 system, created by computer-aided drown detection firm, Poseidon, is designed to monitor swimmers’ movements, and raise the alarm to lifeguards if a problem is detected.

It uses cameras to capture every swimmer’s movements. A computer then analyses the data and alerts staff if someone’s movement is considered to be abnormal. Lifeguards will then be shown on a computer screen exactly where in the pool the incident is occurring.

Glasgow Life, a charity that runs leisure facilities on behalf of Glasgow City Council, said it had decided to purchase the anti-drowning technology in 2017

It was subsequently installed in the main pool at the Tollcross centre over various phases in 2018 – and is expected to become fully operational in spring 2019.

But, as the local authority had to slash budgets by £53 million in 2017, the expense of the surveillance system has raised eyebrows.

Labour MP Paul Sweeney said: “While nobody would question the importance of public safety, it’s hard to condone this sum being spent on just one sports facility.

“It is a lot of money when we are struggling to deliver basic services elsewhere. For example, disabled Glaswegians that use the Whitehill pool still suffer the indignity of being manually winched into the pool because of a lack of modern equipment.

“At a time when we see pools threatened with closure, the idea we are spending so much money on this technology baffles me.”

A Glasgow Life spokesperson said: “The installation was not driven by any incidents or concerns, rather a desire to ensure Glasgow Sport kept up with the most up-to-date technology. The technology will complement the fantastic jobs our staff carry out every day in keeping our customers safe.”