The operator of the Costa del Sol hotel where a British pastor and two of his children drowned has dismissed suggestions that there may have been a problem with the swimming pool in which they died.

Gabriel Diya, 52, Comfort Diya, nine, and Praise-Emmanuel Diya, 16, died on Christmas Eve at the Club La Costa World holiday resort in Fuengirola, Spain.

An “utterly heartbroken” Olubunmi Diya, the mother of the two British children who drowned alongside their father, said on Friday that she believed “something was wrong with the pool that must have made swimming difficult for them at that point in time”.

However, hotel operator CLC World Resorts and Hotels said on Saturday that the claims were “directly at odds with the findings of the police report” into the tragedy.

“Naturally, we have heard the comments made on behalf of Mrs Diya in a widely publicised statement to the media,” it said. “The claims made in that statement are directly at odds with the findings of the police report.

“This makes it clear that their exhaustive investigations have confirmed the pool was working normally and there was no malfunction of any kind.

“The police report containing full findings has been passed to us and also made public by the police … We would emphasise that these are findings of the police investigation and not our own internal findings, as has been wrongly reported by some media.”

The pool remains closed out of respect and guests are being directed to other pools, according to the hotel group.

“Our sympathies remain with the family at what we understand must be a stressful and desperately upsetting time for them,” it added.

The statement comes after Diya dismissed claims that her husband, son and daughter could not swim. However, an English translation of the Guardia Civil report released by the hotel operator states that the investigation “points to a tragic accident, in principle caused by the lack of expertise of the victims when swimming”.

The police report said specialist staff from the Guardia Civil “conducted several tests on the pool water purification and recycling system, which included engines, and valves, as well as a dive to collect possible traces of evidence.

“They found no irregularity in the aforementioned inspections although they recovered a swimming cap owned by the nine-year-old, which was in the pool,” it said.

“Similarly, police officers collected water samples, which are currently being analysed at the Centre for Toxicology. The autopsy of the bodies indicates that they died by drowning, discounting in principle, some type of chemical poisoning.

“Likewise, the bodies did not show any signs indicating bumps or scratches which would have been produced by anything connected to the pool’s operating system.”

It added: “Because of all of the above, and the tests carried out so far, including the personal statements of the other two family members, who were the only direct witnesses to the incident, the police indicate that we are facing a tragic accident caused by the lack of expertise of the victims when swimming when they went into the deep zone of the swimming pool where they could not make footing.”

Diya has been remembered as a “loving husband and devoted father” by members of his church.

Pastor Agu Irukwu, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, also described Diya as “humble, friendly and a committed pastor and Christian leader” to his congregation in Charlton, south-east London.

Friend and fellow pastor Lemmy Gbenga Ayodele added: “Good night my very good friend, Pst Diya. When you said ‘bye and seeing you later’ a few days ago I didn’t know you meant eternity. Difficult to comprehend and still like a dream that you went with two of your children.”