The takeover plan, led by Meridian Trust director Tony Weeks, would see the Portsmouth City Council-run centre renovated and new equipment brought in.

"It's a win-win situation for everybody, " said Weeks. "We would still provide the facilities for youngsters who could not afford it, we can attract more money in to make the centre better, and the council will no longer be losing £250,000 a year on it."

But a note of caution was sounded by leisure director Barbara Thompson, who said:

"We will have to wait for a review of the centre to be completed in October before we decide what we want to do with it."