Every secondary school in Portsmouth is set for building work worth £100m to £200m as part of the government's Building Schools for the Future programme.

One of the school's set for a complete demolition and rebuild is King Richard School in Paulsgrove.

Local residents and school children want a swimming pool as part of the rebuild and handed in a petition to Portsmouth City Council leader, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson.

A separate petition was also handed in to encourage the council to opt in to the government's scheme providing cash for councils who make swimming free for over-60s and under-16s.

The council has already agreed to opt in to the over-60s aspect of the scheme and is due to make a decision on the under-16s aspect soon.

If it opts in, it will be entitled to a slice of capital money, some of which could be used to help build the pool at Paulsgrove.

Portsmouth North MP Sarah McCarthy-Fry has been arguing that the combination of the rebuild of King Richard and the government's free swimming scheme presents the council with an historic chance to make good on their commitment made in 1990 to build a pool in the Paulsgrove area.

She said: 'The whole community in Paulsgrove is behind this idea.

'Hundreds of people have written to me asking me to put their names on the petition and saying how overdue a pool in Paulsgrove is.

'The reaction on the doorstep has been equally enthusiastic.

A team from the city council led by Mike Fowler are currently working through a detailed plan – including specific building plans for the city's 10 state secondary schools and two special schools.

The first new buildings are due to open in 2013.