CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a leisure centre threatened with closure have called a public meeting to discuss their next move.

Sherburn Leisure Centre, near Durham City, is one of three being recommended to close in the autumn as part of cost-cutting measures at Durham County Council, designed to save £1.3m a year.

The authority’s cabinet will decide on Wednesday whether to endorse a report suggesting that centres in Sherburn, Crook and Ferryhill be closed, while others in Ushaw Moor and Coxhoe be handed over to be run by community groups and a sixth, at Pity Me, continues as a council-run centre but on reduced opening hours.

The Labour-run council is facing £125m of spending cuts over four years, including £67m this year.

Several rival bids were lodged with the council to take over the running of Sherburn Leisure Centre, but all were rejected by officials.

Now a public meeting has been called by Sherburn Village Parish Council to discuss the way forward. Around 200 people attended a public meeting called when the closure was first proposed and organisers hope that similar numbers will attend on Monday.

Liberal Democrat councillor Carol Woods said: "Some people are absolutely furious about this and there are all sorts of rumours going round.

"We simply feel that people should have a chance to come along and ask questions and we want to ask people were we go from here.

"We still think that it is very short-sighted to bulldoze a building for short-term gain when over a period of time economic conditions will pick up.

"First and foremost, we would like to keep the building standing because that will give us more time"

She added: "It beggars belief that, with five bids on the table, they couldn’t find a way forward on this.

"Where there’s a will there’s a way and there are ways of keeping these centes open if the council wants to do it."

The meeting will take place in Sherburn Village Working Men’s Club, in Front Street, Sherburn Village, on Monday at 7pm.