CAMPAIGNERS hoping to save struggling leisure centres from closure were last night scrambling to finalise their rescue plans, before another council-imposed deadline.

Community leaders hoping to take over leisure centres in Sherburn, Coxhoe, Pity Me, Ferryhill and Crook have until 10am today to convince Durham County Council bosses that their business plans stack up, or face them recommending closure.

Many of the takeover plans were dealt a major blow last Thursday, when council chiefs raised a range of serious concerns and gave leaders just five days to respond.

After today's deadline passes, officials will draw up recommendations for the council's all-Labour executive cabinet, which will take final decisions on the future of six leisure centres on Wednesday, July 13.

These recommendations are expected to be published next Tuesday.

So far, only a Deerness Gymnastics Club-led bid to reopen Deerness leisure centre, in Ushaw Moor, as a gymnastics academy is thought to have won support.

However, most of the other eight bidders, which are all community-based organisations, are expected to try again.

Peter Hall, who chairs a community group hoping to save Abbey leisure centre, in Pity Me, said: "Our group is very disappointed at receiving our letter via email on Thursday evening highlighting perceived weaknesses.

"We were initially downhearted, however, we are proposing to answer the points raised."

The group planned to submit a amended proposals before today's deadline, Mr Hall added.

"Our proposal was very detailed with a clear vision to take Abbey forward involving the members, users and the community.

"The potential of local people should not be underestimated," Mr Hall said.

Durham County Council is facing £125m of cuts over four years, including £67m this year, and is planning to axe 1,600 jobs. Council chiefs say all its leisure centres are run at a loss, it has more centres per head of population than neighbouring authorities, particularly in the Durham City area, and closing these six facilities would save £1.3m a year.

A 12-week public consultation ended in May, leading to ten groups submitting 19 takeover bids.

However, the only private business to submit a rescue bid, to run all six, withdrew its interest last week, after concluding they could not be run profitably.