LEISURE bosses today hit a stinging return after criticism was served up about the cost of the area's tennis courts.

Officials from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy claimed that kids in East Lancashire were paying some of the highest prices in the country to play the game.

And they said it was no wonder that the country struggled to find young stars like as Wimbledon sensation Andrew Murray.

But leisure bosses said the society had overlooked the fact they all had free-to-use tarmac courts as well as high quality grass and synthetic courts.

A CSP survey found that the national average cost to play tennis was £2.20 an hour for a junior with the Ribble Valley the most expensive at £3.50 the most expensive and Rochdale, at 50p, being the cheapest in Lancashire.

The Ribble Valley was said to be the 13th most expensive place in the country, only behind towns and cities in the South of England.

But Ribble Valley Council's leisure and tourism manager, Chris Hughes, said the survey was flawed as they did offer free courts, as well as some of the best facilities in the country.

He added: "The standard of tennis courts varies enormously and, if all people want is a knock-about, there is a tarmac court in the grounds of Clitheroe Castle that is free of charge.

"But if they aspire to be the next Andrew Murray, our grass courts are probably the best in Lancashire.

"Quite simply, you get what you pay for.

"Our tennis courts were made from the best quality synthetic grass on the market in consultation with the Lawn Tennis Association as a centre of sporting excellence."

Paul Jenkins, membership secretary of the Whalley Tennis Club, said: "For an annual membership for a child we charge £28. That's not many hours on a Ribble Valley court.

"We try and encourage as many youngsters as possible by having reduced fees. I didn't realise how much it costs in the Ribble Valley, that's really expensive."

Phil Gray, chief executive at The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy said: "Many local authorities in the North West are preventing British tennis stars from releasing their full potential by pricing them off the court.

"The lack of affordable public facilities could be one of the factors behind Britain's failure to produce more world-class players.

"If kids are into tennis, particularly in the summertime it is not unusual for them to want to play five times a week. In many parts of the country, this can cost over £10 per week, which lots of parents can't afford."

East Lancashire dietician linked the problem with childhood obesity, Jenny Slaughter, for Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust said: "There definitely would not be as many overweight children if exercise was made more accessible to children."

A spokesman for The Lawn Tennis Association said: "We have been doing a lot of initiatives to try to increase the number of players and that has included encouraging tennis clubs to keep costs as low as possible.

"We would ask the council in Ribble Valley to look at its budget to see if prices can be made any more affordable.

"The prices need to be affordable to enable young players to practice and train to improve their skills at what is a very rewarding sport."