SUCH is the popularity of table tennis at Hexham‘s Queen Elizabeth High School, demand for the sport significantly outweighs facilities.

With only three working tables to use, only 30 pupils are able to take part in the weekly lunch time slot. Just as many students have to be turned away as there’s no way for them to play.

Music teacher Peter Seago, who plays competitively for Whitley Chapel, reinstated a table tennis club at the school in September, the session being held each Wednesday afternoon.

While starting with five tables, two were well past their sell-by dates and were condemned to the scrap heap.

The children are now left with just three practice tables, which enables 10 children from each year group from nine to 11.

But Mr Seago insists the sport could be flourishing at the school if only there was the budget to develop facilities.

He said: “We could have 60 here but we have to turn children away.

”There's a rush on to get here when the bell goes because they know if we're over the limit of 30, they have to go away.

"We have to try to limit it to 10 a table and, even then, there's not a lot you can do with so many.

"At the moment, this keeps them occupied but with more tables we could give them some coaching and drive them on.

"We had to condemn some tables as they were too dangerous for the children to use, and we were having to patch the patches!

"We're crying out for more tables and they cost about £600 for ones which are good enough standard.

“The provision, as it stands, is good, but it could be so much better and new tables would definitely get used. But it‘s hard to justify the price when school budgets are so tight.”

Mr Seago, working alongside PE teacher Paul Main, has seen enough since the start of the club to suggest the sport could really take off at the school.

The enthusiasm demonstrated has told him there could be stars of the future among the teenagers, and they need to be encouraged to stick at it.

It is hoped the youngsters will continue to play table tennis, and keep the sport alive throughout Tynedale.

There are clubs in remote villages such as Matfen, Newton, Humshaugh, Whitley Chapel and Sinderhope - yet none in the towns across the district.

Mr Seago said: “Matfen has four teams, Whitley Chapel has a team, but there’s no table tennis club in Hexham and it‘s the biggest town around.

”Elsewhere in Northumberland, you look at Cramlington and they have 30 tables in one building!

“There’s no way near the facilities, and places like Whitley Chapel are hard for children to get to.

”There‘s some canny little players here at school and some who hadn’t even held a bat before but are developing really well.

“But we need to be bringing them on and getting them to play in clubs, especially as a lot of teams have players approaching retirement age.”

To help cater for demand, QEHS is looking to introduce another weekly session to enable more children to get the chance to play.