SIX leisure centres have been found to have improved standards in a recent inspection.

The assessment, carried out by Quest on behalf of Sport England, found that all six had improved standards, customer care and value for money.

Four Durham City leisure centres, at Coxhoe, Deerness, Meadowfield and Sherburn, along with Shildon leisure centre, moved from accredited to commended status. A sixth, Abbey Leisure Centre, at Pity Me, jumped two levels from accredited to highly commended.

Nigel Dodds, sport and leisure services area manager for Durham County Council, said: "This isn’t just about putting up a seal of approval in our centres, this is about making sure everyone in County Durham, regardless of how often they use any of our facilities, knows that we are constantly striving for improvements."