STORM force gales ripped apart a tennis dome in Cwmbran causing more than £100,000 of damage.

Players on court at the time said the pressurised "bubble'' flapped in the wind like "jelly gone wild".

The dome housed three courts at Greenmeadow Tennis Club which are now out of action until major repairs are made.

The incident happened on Saturday when winds in Gwent whipped up to 70mph.

The powerful gusts took hold at around 5pm.

Club chairman John Oliver was playing tennis at the time and remembered the moment the final destructive gust hit the roof.

"It was like a big fist coming into it," he said.

The two-tonne fabric roof was made from plastic and covered three courts, making an air-pocket.

It was installed four years ago for £150,000 using Sportlot funding. Mr Oliver, a chief inspector with Gwent Police, said: "We knew there were gales coming in and we made sure the roof was fitted and functioning properly." As the game progressed the winds picked up.

"There was some severe gusts and they caused like a rippling effect along the roof," Mr Oliver said.

Without warning, a gust blew out the roof's air outlet and players ran for cover. "It was like jelly gone wild," Mr Oliver said. "Material was coming down everywhere. I had never seen anything like it. "It was not a pretty sight."

Three outdoor courts are still in use but it will be sometime before the indoor ones will be back ready for action. The club's head coach, Chris Hill, said the broken dome had blown out the club's winter training programme for more than 120 children.

The youngsters, aged five and upwards, now have nowhere to play tennis. Mr Hill said: "We can only pray the weather improves so we can go outside."

There is a three to four month waiting list for a new dome structure. "What has happened is a major problem," he said.

"It has effectively shut down our entire winter programme. We can only hope we can use indoor facilities elsewhere." The club hopes its insurance will cover the cost of repairs.