Money raised to create pump track

The money had to be raised before an offer of £20,000 from Shropshire Council expired

More than £70,000 has been raised to create a new community pump track in Shropshire after a race against the clock to meet a funding deadline.

Ellesmere Town Council said it passed its target on Monday and would now look for contractors to create the track on its recreation ground at Berwyn View.

It had until 31 March to raise funds, after which a pledge of £20,000 from Shropshire Council would have expired.

Jo Butterworth, the town clerk for Ellesmere, said: "Words can't describe, we're just really overwhelmed with the support that we've had for this project."

Pump tracks are circular loops with rolling sections and curved banks, designed to be ridden without pedalling.

The set-up proposed for Ellesmere is 787ft (240m) long and 4.9ft (1.5m) wide, and expected to be used by people on bikes, scooters and skateboards.

Ms Butterworth said young people in the town had "been asking for it for quite a while" and she hoped to find a contractor by the end of April to have the track open in time for the summer holidays.