FURTHER delays to the completion of maintenance work at Welshpool's astro-turf pitch have put the future of a club in jeopardy.

Welshpool Hockey Club officials were left dismayed after receiving confirmation work the on all weather facility at the Flash Leisure Centre would not be completed until the summer.

Welshpool Hockey Club and Llanfair Caereinion Hockey Club have been forced to play 'home' games at Newtown's Maldwyn Leisure Centre since the Flash closed its astro turf pitch in October.

The pitch has been closed since as a result of persistent flooding causing significant damage to the surface by water and debris with flooding caused by a failed surface water drainage system on land adjacent.

The centre had previously anticipated works being completed by March and the delay means Welshpool Hockey Club face an uphill battle in relaunch its junior section.

A club spokesman said: "It is just pure frustration.

"It was a 30 second phone call to tell us they were releasing a statement that the pitch will be done in summer to which I asked "Summer rather than March?" to a reply of 'yes' and the end of conversation.

"Our juniors have completely lost out, we have no official home pitch, or place to use for our own training, and still no exact date or information of what will be done with the pitch except something is happening in the summer."

"The lack of a real update is the most annoying thing and they expect us to just accept it when we have had so much affected.

"Will it hinder our juniors from returning after a year away from the sport? Will they have found a different sport or lost interest? This latest setback leave us with a big, big job for us to restart."

Powys County County Council and Freedom Leisure issued a joint statement to apologise to users for the "lengthy pitch closure" with the aim to reopen "this summer."

The statement confirmed "extensive investigative and drainage work was needed at the entire Welshpool Leisure Centre and High School site" with work to replace the ATP carpet unable to be undertaken until such investigations were complete.

A joint statement from Powys County Council and Freedom Leisure said: “We are advised that the investigation and repair work is extensive. As a result, we don’t anticipate the ATP reopening until the summer.

"We apologise once again to all users for the lengthy pitch closure and for the inconvenience.

"We will be contacting all our users to provide them with an update. Once work is complete, we are confident that the facility will be open to the community all year round.”