The government says it is preserving sporting facilities

Figures released on 22 July showed the number of pitches rose in 2003/4 to a total of 44,000 across 21,000 sites.

Ministers hailed this as a success in the playing field preservation fight.

But the last audit, in 1992, found some 34,000 more pitches - 77,949 on 25,940 sites - the National Playing Fields Association told the Daily Telegraph.

"Shameful"

Alison Moore-Gwyn, the association's director, told the newspaper: "We have lost nearly 45% of our stock of sports pitches. By any standards, this is a shameful record.

"Both Conservative and Labour governments have allowed a creeping disaster to overtake playing fields throughout England."

More playing fields are being created or improved than being lost and this shows that we are starting to turn the tide on the playing field issue Richard Caborn

The figures announced by the government last month showed that out of 959 redevelopment applications considered during 2003-04, 72 pitches were created and 52 lost - a gain of 20 pitches.

Sports minister Richard Caborn hailed the increase, saying: "More playing fields are being created or improved than being lost and this shows that we are starting to turn the tide on the playing field issue."

The National Playing Fields Association initially welcomed the news but said there was still more work to be done.

The government has been committed to stopping playing fields being lost to development projects since it came to power in 1997.

New regulations introduced in 1998 and strengthened in 2004 mean Sport England checks every application involving a playing field and objects if it considers sport will lose out.

Where school playing fields are involved, the association and the Department for Education and Skills have rules that say any sale must be "an absolute last resort".