WORK has started on a £206,000 all-weather floodlit football pitch that will benefit young footballers in Newton Aycliffe.

Councillor Keith Henderson cut the first turf at Greenfield School Community and Arts College to mark the start of the development.

The provision of the pitch was made possible thanks to a £142,000 grant from the Football Foundation, plus funding from the Seed Challenge Fund, a Government funding scheme.

Synthetic materials are being used to create the pitch, to give it a more grass-like surface.

A similar surface is used by Premiership clubs, including Middlesbrough at their Hurworth training ground, near Darlington.

Funding for the development was secured after a three-way joint bid by Greenfield School, Newton Aycliffe Youth Centre Football Club and Newton Aycliffe Sports Club Junior Football Club.

The school and the clubs will have first call on the pitch, but it will be made available to the community and is expected to be used by 100,000 young footballers each year.

Although primarily for football, it could be used for other sports, including rugby, hockey and cricket.

If all goes according to plan, it is hoped the facility will be completed in October.

Darren Hryniszak, PE teacher and football development manager at Greenfield School, said: "This is a terrific advance in facilities for the whole community, because there is a lack of floodlit sports pitches in Newton Aycliffe.

"It is great news for the school, obviously, but also for the community and the young people of the town."