Leisure facilities in Darlington have received a major boost after a £70,000 sports complex refurbishment.

MP Alan Milburn performed the official honours at the re-opening of Eastbourne Leisure Centre today.

The centre was first opened by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1999, featuring a gym, athletics track and an all-weather floodlit sports pitch. A bowls green and community facilities were added later.

In the past five years, it has played host to 700,000 visitors and has been well used by school children, local sportsmen and women, including Darlington Harriers athletics' club.

The facilities have also been invaluable in putting heart patients on the road to recovery and are used by Darlington Primary Care Trust (PCT) for cardiac rehabilitation and the Darlington Coronary Support Group.

The revamp, carried out by borough council contractors, took place over two weeks.

The facelift is also expected to boost the award-winning Chance to Live campaign run by The Northern Echo, together with health chiefs aiming to combat coronary disease in the town.

This campaign was originally launched by The Northern Echo following the death of its deputy chief photographer Ian Weir, aged just 38. It campaigned for more resources to be invested in coronary care and, once that was done, shifted the spotlight onto prevention rather than cure.

Customers were consulted on the types of equipment they wanted to see at the Eastbourne centre. Technogym cardiovascular and fixed resistance machinery was installed.

That included treadmills, rowing machines, cross-trainers and cycles, chest and shoulder presses, along with plasma screens and Sky TV. Darlington PCT's healthy lifestyles officer, Ruth Brown, said: "It is fantastic news that the council has invested so heavily in Eastbourne Leisure Centre.

"It has always been well used by heart patients and hopefully all manner of people will be encouraged to go down to the gym and then use the other excellent facilities that are there for them. The refurbishment is a real boost for healthy living in Darlington."