A drawn-out saga overplans for a Derwentside swimming pool has prompted the local MP to demand answers from National Lottery bosses.

North Durham MP Kevan Jones has passed on the frustrations of Stanley residents about a four-year wrangle over plans for a 25-metre pool in the town.

Derwentside district councillors are still confident they will secure millions of pounds needed from the National Lottery after Sport England approved the scheme in principle earlier this year.

The pool will be built at the Louisa Centre, in Stanley town centre, if the National Lottery agents agree that the tenders from at least one of the four contractors are within the council's costings.

The council first applied for funding in 1997, but has been turned down three times.

After the agent's board failed to reach a decision at a Lottery Panel meeting last month, Mr Jones wrote to them.

In the letter he said: "While advocating the need for a replacement pool, I accept that any award is dependent on the ability of the scheme to meet relevant criteria.

"However, the time taken to assess this project would appear to have been procrastinated at every juncture.

"Both the district council and the people of Stanley are desperate to conclude this matter and I see no reason for the current delay."

He went on to demand an explanation as to why the scheme was not considered at the recent Lottery Panel meeting.

A spokewoman for Sport England said of the latest delay in making a decison: "The application from the council was discussed at the last panel meeting, but a decision had to be deferred due to financial constraints.

"It will be discussed at our next meeting on August 20 and because it is for a large award it will have to go to our next tier of decision-making, the committee.

"Therefore a decision could be ratified by the beginning of September.

"We understand this might be frustrating for the council and the people of Stanley, but we can assure them it will be top of our agenda at our next panel meeting.