THE long-awaited opening date for a town's new swimming pool will be revealed today.

People in Stanley have been waiting eight years for new leisure facilities, after the Burns pool closed in 1996.

The £5.7m pool and gym at the Louisa Centre, in Front Street, was due to open in spring last year.

But the opening date was delayed by more than a year due to a series of difficulties.

Work started on the new building in November 2001 but the following year, a European firm contracted to supply insulating panels for the pool went into liquidation.

A main wall of the new building had to be demolished and rebuilt last year, because it was not properly secured in place.

Contractors AWG then had to appoint a new construction team to finish the project, after leisure chiefs found a series of building faults earlier this year.

The completed facility includes a six-lane competition pool with 300 seats for spectators, plus a smaller training pool with a mobile floor that can be raised or lowered for swimmers of all abilities.

Bosses at Derwentside District Council will officially announce today when swimmers will finally be able to use the pool.

The expanded gym opened to members yesterday.