Flooded Bridport football pitch needs 'buoys for lines'

A huge clean-up at a football ground has been under way after days of heavy rain left the pitch underwater and its clubhouse flooded.

Bridport Football Club's St Marys Field was submerged under 2ft (0.6m) of water on Thursday evening.

After work to clear the ground through the night, the club said it had managed to save the clubhouse from the deluge.

Levels have since receded on the pitch to just over ankle height but the club's game on Saturday looks unlikely.

After appealing for volunteers to help on its Facebook page with "mops and buckets", the club started the vast operation to clear its clubhouse.

On Thursday, a further Met Office yellow warning for heavy rain was in place until 19:00 GMT and numerous flood warnings were issued by the Environment Agency (EA), including the River Brit near the ground.

Water swamped the area and by 19:00 on Thursday much of the pitch was submerged.

Adrian Scadding, club chairman, said he had been up until 01:00 "sweeping the water away from the clubhouse" to avoid it flooding again.

"We've had to empty the cellars... take carpet tiles up and cancel all the functions," he said.

"I cannot honestly see this week's match going ahead looking at the pitch now - instead of lines on the pitch we need buoys."

He added the ground last saw flooding on this scale about 10 years ago.

A decision on Saturday's match with Elburton Villa set for a 14:15 kick-off will be made by 10:00 GMT on the day.

Mr Scadding said further work was under way to get the clubhouse, which has been booked for numerous festive parties, back up and running over the weekend.

Thursday's heavy rain brought disruption across Dorset with several schools in Beaminster, Bridport, Blandford and Dorchester forced to close and public transport cancelled.

In Bridport, a building firm handed out hundreds of sandbags to residents after the town council's supply ran out.

Numerous flood warnings remain in place across the county as river levels remain high.

A flood warning means the EA considers flooding of homes and businesses is likely.

Under the warning, people are advised to move their valuables and family, pets and vehicles to safety.

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