A COUNCILLOR has appealed to landowners for help to provide more football pitches for young people in Rayleigh.

Rayleigh town and Rochford district councillor Tony Humphries has been in the middle of a dispute over the use of pitches at King George V playing field, in Eastwood Road.

He said: "There is no doubt there is an increasing crisis in Rayleigh, especially after the loss of the pitches at Park School because of the redevelopment of the site.

"There are major problems on King George V playing field because of the pressure it is under at the moment."

Mr Humphries added the current situation would only be made worse with proposals to build an extra 1,800 houses in the town by 2021.

He added: "What I am hoping for is someone to come forward who has land available and would be interested in looking at providing additional pitches.

"The idea has worked well in other parts of the district, such as Ashingdon Boys with their site at the junction of Cherry Orchard Way and Hall Road in Rochford."

Any landowner who can help can call Mr Humphries through the town council offices in Bellingham Lane, Rayleigh.