David Ruffley MP will be speaking at the official reopening ceremony of Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre on Saturday 18 March.

Since the Leisure Centre opened in 1975 it has twice closed due to fire damage. In 1980 it burnt down in a suspected arson attack and it was badly damaged again in 2004 in a fire caused by an electrical fault.

The newly refurbished £7million Leisure Centre includes a competition length 25 metre pool, a 100 station cutting edge fitness studio in which users can choose their own audio or TV entertainment and a new health suite with sauna, steam room and aromatherapy room.

David said:

'It will be an honour to attend the reopening of Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre and I can think of no more fitting person to reopen it than football legend Sir Geoff Hurst, a hero of the 1966 World Cup and the only man to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup Final.

'The original centre was opened in 1975 by Sir Alf Ramsey and I am delighted to be speaking on what I am sure will be an equally historic occasion.

'This revitalised Leisure Centre boasts a state-of-the-art gymnasium and a fantastically equipped health suite. It has been a long journey getting this vital community facility reopened but we are now fortunate to have a resource that will attract even more visitors to Bury St Edmunds and provide much needed entertainment for young people across the area.'