New £1m padel club opens in Gloucester

A new padel club has opened on the site of the former Toys R Us building in Gloucester.

It cost more than £1m to renovate the building, and its new management says it has created 15 jobs for locals.

The club has nine indoor courts, along with a restaurant and bar.

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

The 43,000 sq ft warehouse in Gloucester Quays has been transformed by The Padel Club, which has courts across the UK.

Kris Ball, the club's founder and CEO, said the city was a perfect location.

"It has got good sporting heritage, people who love their rugby, love their football and basketball," he said.

"When the building became available we thought 'what a fantastic building' - you can see Gloucester Quays next to us."

Flo, 11 was one of the first to try out the new club and said: "I really like padel. I play tennis a lot, this is slightly different.

"The bat is heavier and the ball feels lighter. Its taken a while to get used to it but I think it is really fun."

Neil Kitching, 48, a padel player from Cirencester said: "The facilities are fantastic, it's got wonderful new indoor courts, and is lovely and warm with the winter coming up - a great place."

Mr Ball added: "Padel is not just for young people or middle-aged people, It is a sport for everybody.

"It is really easy to play, really accessible and easy on your body."