A new £7m indoor athletics and netball centre has opened at Brunel University.

The Brunel University Athletics Centre was opened by a former Brunel student, Alan Pascoe, vice-chair of London 2012, with Wilma Shakespear, director of the English Institute of Sport (EIS), who opened the netball hall.

The facilities form a significant part of the university’s £13m sports portfolio, which includes a £6m outdoor track and field and tennis complex.

The athletics centre features a 132m sprint straight with jumping areas and is part of UK Athletics‘ strategy for provision of indoor training facilities in London.

Sport England contributed £2m towards building the centre, from a £16m fund designated for updating London’s athletics network.

Neil Young, deputy director of sport at Brunel, said: “Brunel now has world-class training facilities and we will be working hard to ensure they are fully utilised by clubs, schools and colleges.”

David Moorcroft, chief executive of UK Athletics, added: “This wonderful centre at Brunel provides a facility which will become the focus for athletics in the north west of London.” Details: www.brunel.ac.uk