A TEESSIDE ice rink is to remain shut throughout the school summer holidays.

Billingham Forum had hoped to reopen its ice rink before the school term started in September following the replacement of the ice pad.

But now managers say there is at least another two to three weeks of work to be carried out.

Forum manager Allan McDermott said that work on the facility had to be carried out outside the main winter season for games on ice.

"The season for all ice sports is in the winter months and that is when we have the most demand," he said.

"Some of the work to install a revolutionary new rink from Germany has taken longer than we expected - but at the end of it, the people of Stockton will have top-class ice facilities."

Proposals to build a new ice rink as part of a massive regeneration project for the town have been put on hold by Stockton Borough Council.