PUPILS at Ferryhill Comprehensive School are to get a new sports hall.

The school has been without PE facilities for the past 18 months after the dilapidated swimming pool and gymnasium were condemned.

Durham County Council is to discuss proposals for a £935,000 sports hall at a meeting on Wednesday. If the scheme wins backing from councillors, the present hall will be demolished and the new one built in its place, to be ready for use by September.

A spokeswoman for Durham County Council said: "The condition of the swimming pool was such that we could no longer provide cost-ffective repairs to it. The adjacent gymnasium was in an equally dilapidated condition, so both were condemned, and the only option was to pull down both of them."

Following discussions with the school, it was decided to replace them with a sports hall measuring 22 metres by 25 metres, the equivalent of three badminton courts, plus changing facilities for 60 pupils.

The school's headteacher, Steve Gater, said: "The first thing I would like to do is pay tribute to both students and staff for working so well without PE accommodation over the past 18 months.

"We've had to have the children in the main hall. At one time, we had to be changing on the stage until we got some temporary accommodation."

The hall will be funded by the county council and built by its strategic alliance group of contractors.

Mr Gater said: "We are looking forward to the facilities being opened in September.

"It is going to double the sports hall capacity that we've got and we'll have new changing facilities and disabled facilities, which we have needed for a long time.

"I am very grateful for the funding that has been provided for this from the county council and look forward to a quick build and opening."