Former Gloucester Toys R Us to become padel courts

A padel club is taking over the site of the former Toys R Us building in Gloucester to create nine indoor courts, along with a restaurant and bar.

Padel is a mixture of tennis and squash, and has been described as "the fastest growing racket sport in the world".

The 43,000 sq ft warehouse is being transformed by The Padel Club, who have courts across the UK.

Gloucester is one of six new locations selected by the club for development.

Kris Ball, CEO of The Padel Club, told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "Padel is a very, very easy game to get into.

"This building ticked all of the boxes for us. Big square footage - high ceilings which is quite important for the game of padel - and it's a prominent building right in the centre of Gloucester.

"We like to be in areas where there's a good sporting scene, and I think Gloucester's definitely got that."

Kris and The Padel Club team began by opening courts in the north west of England, before expanding into the south.

The Padel Club Gloucester Quays will open in the first week of October.

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