Official guidance to encourage transgender people to use swimming pools has been axed amid criticism that it was “sinister” and “dangerous to women”.

The guidelines, published by Swim England in December, advised leisure centres that visitors who choose their gender — and may not have had reassignment surgery — should be allowed to use the lavatories and changing rooms of whichever sex they felt was appropriate.

The advice stated: “The most appropriate changing and shower facilities are gender-neutral village-style changing rooms so that everyone can enter together without fear, with individual changing and shower cubicles also provided.”

Swim England’s guidance warned that as a result of “encouraging more trans people to use your pool”, staff at leisure centres might start to experience “more negative incidents