A NEWPORT boxing club is looking for a new home after more than a year without proper training facilities.

Bettws-based, Crindau-Harlequins Boxing Club used to use facilities at the Millbrook Community Centre, but were forced to find alternative arrangements after Newport Council shut the centre due to maintenance problems more than a year ago.

Since then, the club has used Newport Civil Service Club and Bettws Rugby Club for its meetings three times a week.

Assistant coach, Kevin Whitehead, said: "One night we turned up at the community centre and it was shut and the council said there were problems with the heating.

Bettws is the second largest housing estate in the whole of Europe.

"What there is for the kids on Bettws is basically a basketball court with a timer on the lights, that's not good enough for 13,000 young residents. These kids come from the lower end of the scale, they haven't got the money to use other facilities".

Mr Whitehead said the club, which started in Crindau but then moved to Bettws around 13 years ago, has been using the civil service club and rugby club for basic training like skipping and exercises, but members have to go elsewhere to train in the ring or use hanging bags. Around 40 people attend the training sessions, with children as young as five getting involved.

He said: "We are an established boxing club with numerous champions. A lot of the kids involved used to be hanging around outside shop etc, but now they come to the club."

Members of the club have set up a group on social networking site, Facebook, calling on the council to return their facilities.

Bettws councillor Noel Trigg, one of the founders of the club, said: "Bettws has a good ladies baseball team and one of the best gymnastics teams, but there's nowhere for the boxing club to train. We just want to find someone for the boys."

Newport Council were unavailable to comment.