Legionnaires' disease is spread by water droplets

Samples of legionella were found during a routine check of The Link Centre's water cooling system.

The centre has been closed as a precaution to allow sterilisation, although it is expected to reopen by Friday evening.

The council says the "minute" levels found present a very low risk, below that at which legislation requires any action to be taken.

Simon Birch, chief executive of Swindon Borough Council, said: "This is a clear demonstration of how our procedure for checking these systems is working effectively.

"What we have picked up is a very tiny level of the bug which presented a very low level of risk.

"That monitoring has allowed us to clean the water systems long before it became a problem."