A NEW £25,000 computer system, designed to ease booking at four of Hambleton's leisure centres, will be installed next week.

The centres at Thirsk, Bedale, Northallerton and Stokesley will be fitted with the new Leisure Management System, to replace the ageing software.

Adam Moseley, the district council's marketing and business development manager, said: "It will make booking activities easier for both customers and staff and help customers who use more than one of our centres."

In the past, transferring data between centres proved difficult and producing financial information was even more complicated.

The new software will handle bookings for everything from badminton courts to children's activities, fitness introductions and crche places.

The new system will be installed next Wednesday and Thursday and staff hope disruption will be kept to a minimum.