A £1.9m sports centre on Teesside will open its doors to the public this weekend.

As well as a sports hall suitable for a variety of activities, the centre, on Hartlepool's Headland, will also have a modern fitness suite, changing and toilet facilities, and a creche area.

It will offer facilities for five-a-side, badminton, basketball, netball, cricket and volleyball, and will also have a range of exercise classes.

An opening ceremony will be staged in the spring, but, the doors will open to the public tomorrow at 10am.

Councillor Robbie Payne, Hartlepool Borough Council's cabinet member for culture, housing and transportation, said: "This splendid new centre will open up a host of great fitness and leisure opportunities for people of all ages, and marks an exciting new chapter for The Headland."

The centre has been built behind the borough hall and its entrance is on Union Street.

Construction was funded by the Active England arm of Sport England, which gave £530,000, Hartlepool council contributed £492,000, the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund £412,500, the North Hartlepool Partnership £400,000, and the European Regional Development Fund £122,500.

Dave Wise, board member of the North Hartlepool Partnership, said: "This impressive building is the last piece in the jigsaw of the major improvements to the borough hall and borough buildings and is a tribute to the spirit of partnership between everyone involved in the project."

For booking, the sports centre can be contacted on (01429) 236564.