Flagship leisure centre closes

Swimmers will have to wait three months to use the pool again

An east London leisure centre which opened late and over-budget has had to close for repairs after less than two years.

The Clissold Leisure Centre in Hackney will be shut for the next three months for essential maintenance work.

Hackney Council says it is trying to find out if the design or the way it was built is to blame for the closure.

A spokesman added it was seeking legal advice to ensure it did not have to foot the bill for the cost of repairs.

The swimming, fitness and health centre, which is run by the Leisure Connection group, finally opened in February 2002.

It was designed by architects Hodder Associates and cost £27m to build, four times the original budget.

But there have been a range of problems with the design of the building, involving alterations to the outside windows to stop people looking in.

And water, either from condensation or leaks, has affected the power supply.

Hackney Council says it has had to shut the building on health and safety grounds.

"At this stage our legal team is pursuing the objective that Hackney residents will not be footing the bill for either these repairs or any historic issues," said councillor Guy Nicholson.