Liverpool's Commonwealth Games bid includes floating pool

A floating swimming pool is to be the centrepiece of Liverpool's bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The 50m pool structure, with seating for 5,000 spectators, would be built on the water near Albert Dock.

The bid, which also includes events at both Everton's existing and proposed new stadiums, would see some events held in Greater Manchester.

Liverpool faces competition from Birmingham to be England's official bid for the games.

The pool, which would be fixed to the walls of a dock but rest on the water, would become a public lido after the games.

The city's waterfront venues - including the conference centre and Pier Head - would host a wide range of events, including weightlifting, judo, netball, road cycling and the pole vault, long jump and triple jump, though the majority of the athletics would be staged at Everton's new Bramley Moore Dock stadium.

The football club's existing ground, Goodison Park, would host boxing, while across Stanley Park - which itself would see lawn bowls - Liverpool's Anfield would stage the opening ceremony and the rugby sevens.

The details of Liverpool's bid were unveiled in a presentation featuring local Commonwealth stars, including gymnastics gold medallist Beth Tweddle, swimmer Steve Parry, and three-time boxing medallist Tony Bellew.

Parry said his home city would be "the perfect host" and described the pool plan as "an absolute knockout".

Greater Manchester's National Squash Centre, Old Trafford cricket ground and Manchester Velodrome would host squash, T20 cricket and track cycling.

The latter two events are part of the Liverpool bid's "optional sports", events which the host city chooses to be part of the programme alongside a minimum of 10 "core sports".

Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese said the city's Commonwealth pedigree and its "elite sporting venues" meant the authority was "pleased to be able to assist Liverpool in its quest to deliver an inclusive, innovative and inspiring games".

Bid judges will visit Liverpool in July and a final decision on where the games will be held will be made before the end of the year.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has been searching for a new host for the 2022 games since it decided in March that Durban had not met the criteria for hosting.

Australia, Canada and Malaysia have also expressed interest in being the hosts.