WORK will begin on Monday to repair the main swimming pool at York's Barbican Centre after a piece of metal fell from the roof into the water.

The pool closed unexpectedly on Wednesday after a length of metal bracket about six to eight inches long fell from the ceiling.

No one was hurt in the incident, but a structural survey revealed other debris had also fallen from the roof.

Charlie Croft, head of York's leisure services department, said the main pool was unlikely to reopen for several weeks.

He said: "We are hoping to have contractors on site to start work on Monday.

"Initial findings suggest we may only need to replace the ceiling bolts but we won't know the full picture until scaffolding is set up and the contractors can get up there."

Mr Croft said the need to construct scaffolding meant the repairs could not be completed as quickly as everyone would like.

He added: "Within that constraint we are aiming to get the pool open again as soon as possible and restore a safe swimming environment for everyone.

"Our main priority is to ensure public safety and we will only reopen the pool once we have carried out any necessary repairs and are satisfied the building is safe."

The training pool, fitness centre, sauna and other facilities remain open to the public.