THE opening of Colchester's new state-of-the-art radiotherapy centre has been delayed.

The £25 million centre at Colchester General Hospital was due to treat the first patient on March 31.

However, that has now been put back to after the May bank holiday after it was found extra water filters will need to be fitted.

The centre will have four new linear accelerators which are used to give radiotherapy to cancer patients.

Two have been installed with a further two due to be ready for use in June.

The first patients are expected to use the new facility from May 6.

Nick Chatten, special projects manager with Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Commissioning equipment like this is an immensely complicated process and we have had a glitch.

"We are exposing people to high doses of radiation and everything has to be absolutely right."