A POLICE authority chairman has insisted he had little choice but to order the demolition of a leisure centre.

Peter Thompson, chairman of Durham Police Authority, said the only alternative to knocking down Aykley Heads leisure centre, in Durham City, would have been to increase council tax.

The authority had been subsidising the facility by £300,000 a year. The demolition has begun and is due to completed by early November.

Mr Thompson said: "I regret the closure of the sports centre and the decision was not taken lightly by the police authority but we felt that we had little choice in light of the severe spending cuts that have been imposed on us by the Government.

"The alternative would have been to increase council tax to pay for it which we did not want to do. The decision means, however, that we can continue to provide the best possible policing service to the people of Durham and Darlington."

The centre opened 30 years ago as a recuperative facility for injured police officers, before later accepting civilians. It included a 25-metre swimming pool, squash courts, football pitches and much more.

It closed before Christmas, a month earlier than planned, due to water and heating problems. Users hope to take over running the facility but admitted defeat in their campaign in the summer.