An outdoor ping pong table has  been placed in the playground of  Whitby Park .

Outdoor table tennis is one of the  fastest growing sports in the country,  and residents in Ellesmere Port can  now join in the popular activity,  thanks to the council’s programme  of investment in the town centre.

Users only have to bring their own  bats and ping pong balls to enjoy the  fast-paced game and the all-weather  table is ready to play all year  round.

The table has gained the support of  the Chester and Ellesmere Port Table  Tennis League, with general secretary Veronica Nicholas and coach  Aaron Beech visiting and offering a  free coaching session to youngsters  in the park.

Councillor Brian Jones, local member for Whitby, said: “With the fantastic weather we’ve had this summer  it’s really important that our young  people can get out and keep active by  getting involved in new things.

“We’ve already seen a number of  people making use of the table over  the summer and I hope that as more  and more people become aware of it  that number rises.”

And for those who enjoy the ping  pong experience and want to progress to table tennis there is now a  great opportunity to do just that.

The Chester & Ellesmere Port  Table Tennis League has made a  successful bid to provide a table tennis centre at Stanney Oaks Leisure  Centre which will now open on  September 5.

Providing coaching for all ages,  levels and abilities on nine tables  from 7-10pm every Thursday,  the session will be run by head coach  Aaron Beech, with all coaches being  English Table Tennis Association-approved.

Local table tennis coach Aaron  Beech, along with his team, last year  won the national knock out cup,  beating every league in the country.

General secretary of Chester and  Ellesmere Port Table Tennis League  Veronica Nicholas said: “It’s with  great pleasure that we open our  centre to offer a new, fast-paced and  exciting sport to Ellesmere Port residents and would encourage as many  people as possible to come and try  something new.”

“The sessions will cater for all ages  and abilities and will also provide a  great opportunity to keep active and  meet new people - everyone can play  table tennis to a level which brings  them pleasure.

“We hope to create a centre of  excellence and once the centre is up  and running we have plans to go into  schools and encourage more young  people to get involved in the sport.”