BRIDPORT Leisure Centre has been acknowledged for high performance by Sport England.

The leisure centre, which is at threat of closure with West Dorset District Council proposals to cut funding to the trust that runs it, has been named as the second highest performing mystery visit in the country.

The visit by Sport England’s leading quality scheme Quest found that overall levels of cleanliness at Bridport Leisure Centre were judged as “very high” while the presentation of the venue was described as feeling “like a private club”.

Nick Neale, general manager of Bridport Leisure Centre, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and a real team effort.

“Quest is much more than a tick box exercise; it is an ongoing programme to improve our facility for both staff and customers, and a great way to demonstrate our achievements.

“The unannounced mystery visit included a number of anonymous telephone calls, emails and enquiries, as well as the all-important mystery visit itself. No-one knew when the visit took place and therefore this award is a genuine reflection of how the service at the leisure centre is delivered week in, week out.

“To have been awarded the second highest score nationwide is amazing and a real testament to the staff and facilities at the leisure centre.”

The Quest report also praised the Bridport Leisure Centre for the management’s system reviews for being “effective in raising the bar” and achieving a “high level of performance”.

Staff were also praised for demonstrating a high standard of customer care.

Quest’s operations director Caroline Constantine said: “By meeting Quest’s high standards, Bridport and West Dorset Sports Trust have shown its commitment to providing quality facilities and services to its customers.

“In these tough economic times it is more important than ever that local leisure facilities can demonstrate their value, and the Quest process helps them do just that.”

Olympic gold medal athlete Darren Campbell, who is the first Quest ambassador, said: “I would like to congratulate Bridport’s sports trust on achieving this award. 

“I believe the whole community should have accessible, affordable and high-quality sport and leisure facilities on their doorstep.” In working hard to continuously improve their offering, Bridport’s sports trust is doing its bit to encourage and inspire people to get more active.”