There is more bank holiday misery in store for visitors to Southampton after it was confirmed that popular sporting facilities will be closed.

Civic chiefs have decided to shut family favourites at Southampton Sports Centre including crazy golf and tennis courts on May Day.

Southampton City Council has confirmed all paid-for facilities at the sports centre will be closed on May 1 because it is not financially viable.

Other facilities which will also be closed include all-weather football pitches and hockey courts at the popular leisure facility in Thornhill Road.

A council spokesman told the Daily Echo: "When it comes to bank holidays our normal hockey, football and netball bookings don't want to book so for us there isn't enough interest for us to be open.

"Things like crazy golf won't be open. It isn't viable to open for the amount of people that would be using it.

"It is a very quiet time for us - it is not somewhere like the Quays."

Andrew Ross, a 39-year-old journalist from Bitterne, regularly plays tennis with his eight-year-old son Toby at the sports centre and was disgusted to learn that the facilities would be closed on May Day.

"If they can't make money on a bank holiday when can they?" he said.

"It has got to be one of the busiest days of the year. It is also the one day when some people get the chance to use it."

The council spokesman added that the athletics track would also be closed but that clubs had been informed and were happy with the arrangement.

He added that the children's playground, golf course, ice cream kiosk and dry ski-slope would all be open.

City chiefs look to China for tourists. See the Saturday Review tomorrow