Search still on to find the culprit behind closures Lifeguards and their employers yesterday rejected speculation that lifesavers embroiled in a pay dispute with the government were responsible for putting bloodworms in public swimming pools. Assistant director of Leisure Services Paul Cheung Kwok-kee said he believed lifeguards and pool staff were not implicated in the appearance of bloodworms that have fully or partly closed several venues. 'I believe that it has no connection with our staff. As to how and when the bloodworms got into the pool, we are still not sure,' he said on a radio show. The Hong Kong and Kowloon Lifeguards' Union vice-chairman, Alex Kwok Siu-kit, also denied that lifeguards might be involved. 'It doesn't make sense for the lifeguards to put the worms in the pool; it will just create more work for us to do,' he said. Police are investigating the case under a criminal damage classification, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment. Conduct in swimming pools is governed by the Public Swimming Pool Regulations. It states that 'no person within a swimming pool, or precincts thereof, shall foul or pollute any water' and allows for a maximum penalty of $2,000 and 14 days' jail. However, Mr Cheung said that the regulation may not be enough of a deterrent in such cases. 'The current regulations are meant for ensuring, for example, that swimmers wash before entering the pool. So the penalty as a result is not very harsh. For this issue, because the impact has been so wide, we felt that it would be more suitable for the police to handle it.' Of three pools where bloodworms were said to have been found on Wednesday, only the Pao Yue Kong pool in Wong Chuk Hang remained closed yesterday, and it could be reopened today. Kowloon Park Swimming Complex is still closed.