Hartlepool Borough Council (HBC) has unveiled a new changing village at the town's Mill House Leisure Centre as part of its wider £1m refurbishment of the venue.

Funded mainly by Sport England, work has included replacing the male and female changing rooms with a single village designed to be family friendly and offer access for disabled people. HBC leisure operations and development manager Ian Gray said: "The new communal changing village forms part of a package of improvements and represents a major leap forward for Mill House Leisure Centre."

Hartlepool mayor Stuart Drummond added: "We are continuing to explore the longer-term future of Mill House Leisure Centre and the wider Mill House site but in the meantime it is important to invest in the centre."