A NEW sports facility proved a smash hit with youngsters as Basset Down's Padel4All opened its doors.

Padel is an innovative form of tennis played on a smaller court and is one of the fastest-growing sports in Europe.

The new courts close to Swindon attracted 63 children on Saturday and operations director Dax Mellor was thrilled.

“We had a fantastic turnout at our Kids' Takeover Day," he said. "It was great to welcome all the children and their parents to our new centre which everyone seemed very impressed with.

“In total 63 children took part over the three sessions and it was wonderful to see them all having fun and enjoying what was for most, a completely new experience.

“Padel is such a great sport for children to enjoy. It’s easy to learn and play which engages them from their first time on court. Also, because the courts are mainly enclosed the ball stays in play for longer, increasing the length of the rallies and the excitement of each point; there were some very tired legs by the end of the day – mine included!

“It’s fantastic to have such a great new facility serving Swindon and Wiltshire and we look forward to welcoming people to our new centre and a new sport in the coming weeks and months.”