CLAIMS that two of east Durham's most popular leisure centres are to close have been dismissed as "simply untrue''.

Speculation over the future of the Peterlee and Seaham sporting complexes began this week when Easington District Council decided to carry out a "strategic review'' of the facilities.

The decision took residents by surprise as the council had already given an assurance earlier in the year that not only would the centres remain open, but they would be upgraded.

In January, after agreeing a land deal to sell a Peterlee town centre site to Manchester-based Modus Properties, the council had announced its intention to invest £800,000 of the sale price upgrading the two leisure complexes.

The authority further revealed its intention to turn both centres over to charitable trusts.

This would give them greater independence, as well as saving the council about £200,000.

A council chief said at the time that the move would "bring the centres up to scratch and put them in a much stronger position for development''.

This week, however, the council revealed that it was once again looking at all the options.

That sparked the rumours that closure of both complexes might be on the cards.

But yesterday, in a brief statement to the press, a spokeswoman for the district council did her best to dampen down the speculation.

She said: "Any rumours that the leisure centres are to close are simply untrue.''

She said that the authority was undergoing a strategic review of its leisure provision across the district, but there had been no decisions taken on the future.

She also confirmed that an investment programme was already under way at the Peterlee centre.

She stressed: "This investment will be continuing.''

The dismissal of the closure claims will be welcomed by sporting organisations and individuals from throughout the area, who use the centres for a host of activities.

A number of facilities, including the swimming pool at Peterlee, have already been closed to the public this year to allow major mechanical repairs to be carried out.

Now residents will be pressing the council to make the kind of decisions which will bring a secure future to the complexes