Married couple blast public pools for getting hot under collar about kiss

A man claims a loving kiss from his wife at a heated indoor public pool was too much for lifeguards patrolling for public displays of affection than swimmer safety.

Swimmer Eddie Higginson has posted a warning to other married couples on Facebook to keep their distance after he and his wife Shannon were told they were being too affectionate in a public place.

He said he was at the Newmarket Olympic Pools last week for nearly two hours with his wife of nearly two years and his mother-in-law.

At one point his wife swam up to him in the main pool, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss.

Within seconds a lifeguard approached the couple and told the couple - reportedly aged 59 and 25 - to stop their amorous behaviour.

"I replied that we are married and were not doing anything indecent or objectionable.

"He said that was fine but there were children around.

"I was both amazed and angry," he posted on Facebook.

Higginson said he regarded the lifeguard's actions as being over officious and overly precious about married people being "affectionate".

The pool's facilities manager John Nixon told Fairfax he was confident in the lifeguard's handling of the situation.

"We keep an eye on all behaviour. A lifeguard wouldn't say anything if it wasn't a problem for the other swimmers."

Nixon said he didn't think there was a need for a sign to tell people not to be affectionate.

"The more signs you have up, the less attention people pay to it."

Higginson took to Facebook to warn other pool users of the moral police on duty at the Newmarket Pools.

He also sent an email to pool management about the guard's behaviour.

He said lifeguards at the pool were misguided in their duty policing affection between a married couple rather than monitoring the safety of swimmers.

He said he noticed other couples in the hot pools cuddling and kissing each other frequently over a period of 20 minutes with no reaction from lifeguards.

"We will not be expressing our love and affection for each other ever again in your PC pools!" he posted.