Sugary drinks have been permanently removed from vending machines and cafes at leisure centres run by Salford Community Leisure (SCL).

Drinks that contain more sugar than the UK Government’s 5g/100ml sugar tax levy benchmark will no longer be sold on its leisure premises in the northwest city.

SCL, which runs eight leisure centres on behalf of Salford City Council, attracts more than 1.35m visits a year.

It has linked up with iPro Sport to provide healthy alternatives for its customers.

SCL trialled the removal of sugary drinks in March and has pledged to work to make Salford a 'sugar smart' city. Salford is involved in Public Health England’s Change4Life campaign which encourages parents to get 'sugar smart' and take control of their children's sugar intake.

Currently, 22.1 per cent of four and five-year-olds are overweight or obese in Salford, increasing to 36.6 per cent 10 and 11-year-olds.

Being overweight as a child means that youngsters are more likely to become obese adults who are more prone to a range of serious health problems, such as heart disease, some cancers, and Type 2 Diabetes.

Mark Chew, SCL head of sport and leisure, said: “Our efforts to remove sugary drinks took us on an interesting journey and we’ve since found some really beneficial new partners. We’re delighted to be working closely with iPro Sport in our fight against excess sugar.

“Salford Community Leisure recently took the stance to remove full sugar drinks from our centres and where possible provide healthier alternatives to our customers.”