Football clubs in the Spen Valley that have been unable to play due to bad weather and the foot and mouth outbreak could be reimbursed.

A Kirklees councillor is calling for local football clubs that paid hire charges for pitches at the start of the season to be reimbursed if they have been unable to play matches.

Councillor Jean Calvert (Lab, Deighton) will question Lifelong Learning Manage-ment Board chairman, Councillor John Smithson, on the issue at today's full council meeting.

Councillor Calvert said: "Many clubs pay pitch charges in advance. There has been a catalogue of difficulties throughout this season which has resulted in matches being cancelled. First there were the autumn floods, followed by snow, freezing pitches and, in recent weeks, pitches being out of bounds because of foot and mouth.

"The shutters come down in a few days' time on the use of Council-owned pitches. It means that clubs will have paid for facilities that, through no fault of their own, they have not been able to use.

"Additionally, they now face the extra costs of hiring alternative pitches."