A would-be “mermaid” has been left high-and-dry after being told she cannot use her flipper in public swimming baths.
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.
Leia Trigger is no longer allowed to wear the tail in her local swimming pool in Bromsgrove (Leia Trigger/PA)
However, management told her they could no longer accommodate the £150 tail for “health and safety reasons”.
She said: “It’s mainly the health and safety risk, because the legs are bound together they worried that I might get into trouble in the water or that I might end up hitting somebody.”
Miss Trigger, who works as a shop assistant, owns two tails which are normally of a lycra or spandex-type material and vividly decorated – though some silicon models can sell for up to £4,000 each.
The 18-year-old – who also uses the name Mermaid Aries – explained she first wanted to get a tail about four years ago after watching a YouTube video about the wearable appendage.
Miss Trigger, who has aspirations of working in children’s entertainment, also said she gets “very positive reactions” from people, while swimming.
But she said that not being able to swim in costume, was “a big drawback”.
She said: “It’s about a sense of being able to just dive in, and it I can explore as a mythical, amazing, graceful creature – and you can see everyone smiling around you.
“But I’m out of action now. It’s more of a case of trying to find somewhere else to swim or seeing if there’s another path I can take with this. It’s quite a big drawback at the moment.”