Malmesbury's flooded pitch still closed off to players

The pitch looks fine, but they cannot play on it due to the possible risk of infection and waterlogging

A football pitch has been unusable since the end of October after it was flooded with river water and sewage.

The Malmesbury Victoria Football Club's pitch was closed after a nearby pumping station failed following heavy rain.

Wessex Water said they fixed the issue quickly and issued the public health guidance for the pitch next to the Tetbury Avon River.

Players were advised not to use the facility for at least 50 days after the incident.

The first team have been using Cirencester Town facilities, but others have only been able to take part in away games.

The club's first team has been using a pitch at Cirencester

Club's secretary Brendon Rice, said: "As I looked to the right, behind our goal, there's a sewage pumping station and that had quite obviously failed, the water was coming up out of the grills and directly onto the pitch and filling us up."

The club have recently been allowed to do some work on the pitch, but little else due to the risk of bacterial infection.

"Other clubs do have problems, but the golden circle here is getting plastic pitches all-weather pitches and they help guarantee games," Mr Rice added.

Mr Rice said that with almost 150 players at the club they could do with more space.

"We feel very much that we're in the wrong position, but finding green space nowadays that isn't marked for housing is extremely difficult, but we still try," he said.