Torrential wind and rain has left a football team for children with special needs with nowhere to train.

Bowers and Pitsea Junior Football Club's pitch, off Kenneth Road, Basildon, suffers from poor drainage and was heavily waterlogged by recent rain.

The floodlights were also blown over and smashed by last week's gales, which made training after dark impossible.

However, they hope to be back in business soon after Basildon-based firm Spadeoak agreed to donate four new floodlights.

Karen Harding, the club's manager, said: "We were gutted when the lights blew over and it was obviously heartbreaking for the children.

"Now I just want to say a big thank you for this amazingly generous donation."

The club welcomes children with a wide variety of disabilities, but also fields able-bodied youngsters as well.

Spadeoak also planned to donate the old artificial surface, from the hard play area in Gloucester Park, to the club, but this ripped when it was peeled from the ground two weeks ago.

Mrs Harding would still like to cover the pitch with sand and artificial turf.

She said: "Our ground was donated to us by the senior Bowers and Pitsea Football Club. It was originally wasteland and we cleared it away, but it has always had terrible drainage and is usually full of giant puddles.

"If anyone knows of an artificial mat we could have, or could make a donation they would make the children very happy."

Anyone who thinks they can help is asked to call Mrs Harding on 01268 478784.