CONSULTANTS have been hired to look into the feasibility of creating a water-based leisure attraction in a town.

Consultants, Capita Symonds, who have experience of leisure attractions in the UK and abroad, have been appointed to explore a number of options for Hartlepool.

Councillors has already set aside £3m for the project, which could attract additional funding from other sources.

Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond said: "This is part of my future vision for Hartlepool. It is a very ambitious project aimed at providing a water-based attraction that can compete with anything else in the North-East."

Hartlepool Borough Council and Tees Valley Regeneration are behind the proposal, which aims to meet the needs of local people while boosting the town's tourism potential.

The consultants will consider whether the town's Mill House Leisure Centre, which has a pool, should be refurbished or replaced, or whether a new facility should be built at either the Marina or Victoria Harbour site.

The consultants are expected to report back on their initial findings by early summer.