Booms and scissor lifts from Nationwide were put through their paces at a new sports centre under construction in Norwich when they had to tackle a rock-climbing wall and negotiate their way round the centre's swimming pool.

Due to be completed in June 2000, the new £17.5 million Sports Park at the University of East Anglia will be the biggest indoor and outdoor sports complex at any British university and will serve both university members and the local community.

The project's main contractors, Willmott Dixon Construction, have hired a total of eight Nationwide booms and scissor lifts for their own use on site and for the use of the sub contractors.

Willmott Dixon Construction manager Keith Catten said: "The Nationwide units are giving us the speed and flexibility we require to keep everything running to time. Narrow width machines were able to get into restricted areas such as around the swimming pool and through doorways, and other units were ideal for helping us to construct the contoured face of the climbing wall."

Electric-powered units for fume-free operation were used inside the centre, with non-marking tyres to protect the floor. Double extending deck scissor lifts came into their own on the outside - their total deck width of six metres enabled contrctors to easily handle large sheets of cladding.

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Issued by Phoenix Public Relations (01482) 219898.