SCOUTS, sportsmen and walkers will have to continue to struggle their way around and through a “mini-lake” at popular playing fields because there is no money to fix the problem.

SCOUTS, sportsmen and walkers will have to continue to struggle their way around and through a “mini-lake” at popular playing fields because there is no money to fix the problem.

Blocking those hoping to get into the King George V playing fields car park in Caister, the huge puddle appears every time there is a heavy bout of rain.

Located at the bottom of a slope, the water hazard often gets over four inches deep and has made access to the field from Allendale Road difficult. However, with costs estimated to be �4,000 to fix the drainage, it is looking ever more unlikely that anything is going to be done.

Bert Hulme is chairman of Caister playing field management committee, which is funded by the sports groups that use the site and the parish council, and which makes decisions regarding the running of the fields on behalf of the Charity Commission.

He said things had reached the point where they were now looking for someone who might be able to help.

He said: “It has got worse over the last year as there has been more rain, but we can't afford the quote and we can't get the authorities to spend money. As a result, one of our options is that we are looking for a benefactor who could help us with this and cover the costs.”

Mr Hulme added the drain installed in the car park could not cope with rainfall, and that Anglian Water would not allow them to install pipes to divert the flooding into a drain on Allendale Road.

As leader of the 1st Caister-on-Sea Scout Group, whose hut is based in the playing fields, Lisa Garrod has had to navigate the depths of the car park on a regular basis.

She said: “There's been a massive huge puddle since I started taking my son to Beavers, which was six years ago. If you're walking, unless you want to tread through the middle of it, you have to go round down the alley and then tread over a pushed-down bit of chain fencing.

“We even once had to use wooden pallets to make a little bridge - it's ridiculous as we're trying to encourage people to try sport and activities. What's the point of all the facilities if you can't get in there easily?”

A spokeswoman for Anglian Water said the flooding was caused by water rising up through the water tables and rain, and that as it was not waste water it could push the drain on Allendale Road beyond capacity.

“This could result in waste water flooding elsewhere. My colleague who covers the area suggests that the best solution is to dig a soak away to drain the water.”