WORCESTER'S long-awaited new £10.5 million swimming pool officially opens the doors tomorrow - signalling an exciting new era for the city's leisure offer.

The Worcester News was given a behind-the-scenes tour of the complex yesterday, with workers putting the finishing touches to the impressive development at the old Perdiswell Leisure Centre.

Its project manager Richard Savory yesterday hailed the venue as Worcester's "Cathedral for sport", with no expense spared in creating a facility which they hope will attract almost half-a-million visits per year.

The main eight-lane swimming pool is all ready to go, with its temperature cranked up to around 29C ready to welcome in the next generation of swimmers.

The smaller multi-use pool, which is two metres deep, also features a moveable floor, while a whole host of extra details have been added to the building's facilities to make it fit for the 21st century.

Mr Savory said: "We wanted to create a 'Cathedral for sport', that's the design ethos - we wanted to aim really high and put attention into all those little details that make this place so impressive."

It is designed to cater for everyone - two ultra-comfy special 'pool pods' can lower people with disabilities into the water, while the massive changing rooms have braille on the doors.

There are also lockers specially designed to store buggies for parents, and the swimming pools also have underwater CCTV - at no small expense - so staff in a backroom office can spot people who get into trouble with seconds.

The venue features white-rock walls which last for longer before showing any signs of ageing, while multi-coloured artwork designed by school children adorns the architecturally-pleasing stained glass which forms part of the building.

From 7am tomorrow, when the site opens its doors they are expecting a rush of people eager to be the first in.

The huge gymnasium, which has 120 work stations, has been causing such excitement that 1,000 new members have been signed up since October in anticipation for the opening.

The revamped sports halls and gym will host 75 fitness classes a week, including novelty 'My Ride' sessions where people cycle in front of a computerised screen showing a live illustration of a street scene in various worldwide locations.

Bosses at the venue are targeting around 470,000 visits within the first year of opening.

General manager Rob Tyler, from the operators Freedom Leisure, said: "We're just putting the finishing touches to it now and we're all ready to go.

"We can't wait to show people what we've got here."