The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department today ordered the immediate closure of a private housing estate swimming pool at 1-5 Ventris Road, Happy Valley, after a lifeguard on duty was found using a suspected fraudulent certificate.

After verifying a batch of lifeguard records with the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society today, the department found that the credentials of a life-saving attendant on duty at the pool yesterday did not match the society's records.

As the qualifications of the life-saving attendant are in doubt and the pool has failed to provide a sufficient number of qualified attendants as required by law, the department ordered the immediate closure of the facility and is considering prosecuting its licensee.

In addition to reporting the case to the Police, the department has notified the Property Management Services Authority to take parallel follow-up action.

From January to the end of July, the department inspected more than 1,400 private swimming pools across the city and verified the qualifications of 2,100 life-saving attendants.