Lorraine Conroy, daughter of a son adopted by the late Sidney West, is pictured with her son Justin at the opening of the £700,000 Sidney West Community Centre in Leylands Road on Saturday.

The new building and an adjoining health centre are built on the site of the original boxing hall that was built with retired farmer Mr West's legacy after his death in 1944.

There was controversy when Mid Sussex Council, which had later taken over the hall, ordered its destruction when the new Triangle centre was opened in 1999.

But guests at the opening ceremony were looking forward as chairman of Mid Sussex District Council Margaret Hersey opened the new centre.

Retired Mid Sussex farmer Mr West, of Park Road, Burgess Hill, had set a trust before his death for a boxing hall to be built off Leylands Road.

The hall built in 1956 survived 43 years until it was considered too expensive to repair and maintain, despite a public protest to save it.

Burgess Hill Town Council runs the routine management of the centre, which was paid for with £470,000 from the Mid Sussex District Council budget and £230,000 from West Sussex County Council.

The centre has a hall and meeting rooms that can be hired by local community groups, as well as new showers, and changing rooms for local sports clubs, including St Andrew's Cricket Club.

A Children and Family Centre run by the county council will be based there.