A youth and leisure centre which was suddenly shut down after the potentially harmful Legionella bacteria was discovered is due to reopen next week.

Wanstead Youth Centre was closed off by Redbridge Council on Monday May 20 due to fears over public safety.

Legionella, which was found following a routine test of the building's water system, can cause people to catch Legionnaires' disease if they inhale the bacteria from droplets in the air.

An outbreak of the pneumonia-type illness from a cooling tower in Edinburgh last summer killed two people and hospitalised dozens.

A council spokesman said the authority "anticipated" that the site would reopen the week beginning June 10, subject to further tests.

The site, in Elmcroft Avenue, provides a variety of activities for young people but also has a gym and sports hall used by Wanstead residents of all ages in the wider community.

Redbridge Council has come under criticism for failing to give enough support to groups affected by the sudden closure.

Connie Barrett, who owns Kids in Charge, a privately run after school club based at the centre, said the authority did not help them find alternative accommodation.

The council has now hit back at the claims and said the large number of groups who use the centre meant it was not possible to relocate them all to other facilities in the borough.

A spokesman said: "the remaining two youth centres do not have the capacity to provide the separate, self contained accommodation equired in order to safeguard the welfare of the after school club users aged 4-12 years old. 

"The Youth Service staff advised Kids in Charge of this and suggested they contact the local secondary school to explore running half term activities from their site.

"As Kids in Charge hires Wanstead Youth Centre to run a private business which the Youth Service does not have control over its operation, it is the responsibility of Kids in Charge to formulate its own Business Continuity Plan."

The council also said it had daily communication with Kids in Charge between May 20 and May 24.

The authority previously said the bacteria was not a risk to anyone if it was handled correctly.