COUNCIL legal chiefs may sue builders for £500,000 over a sports hall's failing floor.

Kirklees Council is looking at taking legal action over problems with the surface in the Deighton Sports Arena.

The Examiner understands the floor surface has been splitting and floorboards are poking out.

The affected part of the sports hall has been shut for 10 months - and council bosses also want to claim £25,000 for lost revenue.

The building and floor were built just three years ago.

The council has had talks with the builders about the problem, but the discussions floundered.

A report put before the council's Cabinet on Wednesday said a formal investigation was carried out to examine the reasons for the problems with the floor.

It says: "The investigation points to both construction and design defects.

"As such, a process was established to discuss the investigation with all parties from the original design and construction team.

"Unfortunately this process was not successful.

"The council's Legal Services department are investigating a process for legal action to be taken against different parties from the original design and construction team."

The council will decide next week whether to use £500,000 of its own money - from a contingency fund - to put the problem right.

It expects to claim the money back from the builders.

The report adds: "There is a (reasonable) prospect of recovery of some or all losses from at least one member of the design team and the contractor where officers consider fault has been established.

"However, the culpability of two other consultants has yet to be established and investigations are ongoing."