Leyton: Olympic-sized ice rinks to open

Lee Valley Ice Centre becomes the third in the UK with two Olympic-sized rinks

Two Olympic-sized ice rinks will be opening in east London as part of a £30m renovation.

On Saturday, Lee Valley Ice Centre in Leyton will also be unveiling a new gym, dance studio and café alongside the ice-skating facilities.

The existing centre was a community stalwart for 37 years, but was struggling to keep up with demand.

Anyone visiting the centre's opening day will be able to skate for £1.

Olympic gold-medallist Robin Cousins, who skated at the old centre in the 1980s, will head a "soft- launch" event on Wednesday for an exclusive group of skaters, children and local stakeholders.

Cousins, who is president of British Ice Skating, described the venue as a "game-changer".

He said the new rinks would be "the perfect place to launch Skate UK, our new national learn-to-skate programme".

The centre is said to be the most sustainable ice venue in the UK

Funded by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), the redevelopment is intended to be a "world-leading ice venue" and a hotspot for the local community.

Alongside the new facilities, the redevelopment has also seen close to £3m invested into nearby biodiversity and community projects.