A watersports centre on the banks of the River Tees has been given a funding boost.

Sport England has confirmed it will invest £959,530 towards the facility, which is currently under construction on the north bank of the river, and will benefit the local community and the region.

Due for completion by early September, it will provide a purpose-built facility to bring together and accommodate a number of water sports clubs based on the River Tees, providing much needed boat storage, social, and training space.

It will also provide opportunities for increased participation on the recently-created tidal-free stretch of water, which includes a 100metre rowing international standard racing lane, made possible by the construction of the Tees Barrage in 1987.

Councillor Bob Gibson, leader of Stockton Borough Council said: "The construction of the Tees Barrage has produced a stretch of still, clear water, of local, regional and national significance.

"The construction of the Tees Watersports Centre now provides an excellent opportunity for a variety of water sports to be developed in the heart of an urban area."

The centre will be owned and managed by the Tees River Users Trust (Trut) and is supported by a number of organisations including Stockton Borough Council, British Waterways, the University of Durham and the University of Teesside.

John Hayward, provost of the University of Durham Stockton Campus said: "It is an exciting development.

"By locating university rowing in the centre and promoting water sports to our students, a large number of local people will be able to take part in a range of activities, many for the first time."

The centre will work in close cooperation with the River Tees Watersports Clubs and other bodies, in particular British Waterways, the Castlegate Quay Watersports Centre and the local authority, to develop programmes aimed at encouraging wider participation in watersports.

John Dixon, chairman of the trust said: "This new building is one more stage in the revitalisation of the area."