New Forest District Council in the UK has chosen leisure trust Freedom Leisure as its preferred bidder to manage the region's leisure facilities.

Freedom Leisure beat two other unnamed management firms to win the contract, which would see it take over the operations of leisure centres in Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood, Applemore and Totton.

A final decision will be made during a council meeting on 25 February, when the length of the contract will also be decided.

Councillor Mark Steele, the council's portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, said: "I'm delighted to be able to announce that Freedom Leisure are our preferred bidder.

"As a not-for-profit leisure trust, Freedom Leisure will reinvest all surpluses in support of shared objectives with its partners.

"Its approach to running community facilities really impressed us and it has demonstrated its track record in achieving what we would wish from a leisure service for the New Forest."

Set up in 2002, Freedom Leisure runs more than 100 facilities on behalf of 20+ local authorities.