FOOTBALL pitches in Worcester and Malvern have been taken out of action this weekend because of the weather.

All pitches managed by Worcester City Council are affected as well as those run by Malvern Town Council.

In Worcester, matches on Cornmeadow Lane, Diglis, Perdiswell, Little Perdiswell and Northwick Lodge are all off.

Games scheduled for Pitchcroft, Ronkswood, Shap Drive and Stephenson Terrace have also been cancelled.

Full refunds will be made and all 29 affected matches will be re-booked with the council liaising with the Worcester League, which organises the majority of fixtures, to re-arrange dates.

Ian Yates, parks and cemeteries manager at Worcester City Council, said: "This is never a decision that we take lightly but for the long-term preservation of the pitches we have no option but to ensure that no games take place this coming weekend.

"We apologise for any inconvenience to all the clubs involved and hope that the situation returns to normal as soon as possible."

In Malvern, fixtures set for Lower Howsell Road, Dukes Meadow and Victoria Park have all been postponed following the recent heavy rain and the threat of more to come later this week.

Malvern Town Council clerk Richard Chapman said: "The pitches were played on in the wet conditions last weekend and a great deal of damage has been done.

"If we allow football pitches to be used this weekend it will be dangerous for the players but the damage to the pitches would mean we might have to close them for two to three weeks."

However, the two pitches at Sling Lane, by Manor Park, Malvern, under the jurisdiction of Malvern Hills District Council, are not affected at present. Decisions there will be taken by the referee on the day.