WORK has started to construct a state-of-the-art all-weather pitch at Woodford Lodge High School.

Pupils of the Winsford school can look forward to playing football, hockey and other team sports on the surface after the summer holidays.

Headteacher Steve Meeks said: 'We have got people working on the synthetic pitch even as I speak.

'It is all looking good to be completed in time for September.'

The pitch is part of the massive ongoing refurbishment project to boost the school's sporting facilities.

Improvements are being funded by the sale of a parcel of land on the school's playing fields.

The school is ploughing more than £1m into refurbishing the tennis courts and netball pitch, upgrading the sports hall and extending changing rooms.

The facilities will be open to the public outside school hours and staff staged a public consultation meeting to find out what type of facilities were needed in Winsford.

Ideas put forward included fitting a climbing wall, extra grass pitches, computer-linked training equipment, athletics facilities, badminton courts, a meeting room for drama groups and security equipment.

Mr Meeks added: 'It means we will have some of the best sporting facilities in the whole county.'