Tennis fans say there is little to love about a town’s last remaining free courts as the “dangerous” facility falls further into a state of disrepair.

Residents say they are being served up crumbling surfaces, broken fences and falling nets at the dilapidated site in Connaught Park, Dover.

But Dover District Council (DDC), which owns the two courts in Connaught Road, concedes it has “not been in a position to address issues raised”, and no repairs are planned.

Those who regularly use the park say more should be done to preserve them before they are lost for good.

Former P&O worker Stephen Staveley, 62, from Elms Vale Road, said: “It’s devastating that it has fallen into disrepair - it shouldn't have got that far.

“All of our facilities should be top-notch. But if the council were to do it up, they would probably start charging for it.

“The park keeper here is great, but there are so many repairs needed that are out of his control.”

Angela Condon, from St Margaret's Bay, says it is a shame to see the facility in such poor condition as she has fond memories of playing tennis in the park years ago.

“The flat section below used to be tennis courts too; there used to be about six,” the 69-year-old recalled.

“We used to have to pay a shilling a time to use those, that was when I was in my early 20s.

“It is free now, but they are a danger because of the fencing; the surface is slippery and the nets come down.

“You get lots of idiots in there smashing bottles and leaving rubbish lying about.”

While it would mean losing the free facility, Mrs Condon’s brother, Tony Condon, says introducing a fee to play could be the only way to save it.

The 68-year-old said: “Unless you introduce a charging system with a park keeper or electronic entry, you will never get the money back to upgrade it.

“People who get things for free fail to appreciate them, that's why there is broken glass, needles and BBQs on it.”

A football pitch opposite the tennis court is also heavily worn from frequent use, with the battered goal in a twisted position in a muddy patch.

While many people would like to see improvements to the courts, others feel DDC is right to prioritise taxpayers' money elsewhere.

Resident Dylan Carter, 22, who walks his labrador Bow through the park most days, says he never sees anyone using the tennis courts.

“If more people knew about them they might get used,” he said.

“Some of my friends go to the leisure centre gym and play tennis there instead.

“The football pitch does get used here but that’s quite poor too.

“I don't want the council to pay loads of money on upgrading the courts if nobody is going to use them.

“We need to ask everyone in Dover if they will actually use it if they do it up.

“If people say yes, then I'm all for it.”

Whitfield resident Simon Kidney says he understands why the council has not prioritised the facility.

The 55-year-old said: “It should be improved but the council is under pressure so they have to make sacrifices somewhere.

“There are boys always playing football; you can see it's well used by the fact it has all worn away.

“Occasionally there are people on the tennis courts but there is moss all over them and it’s a shame to see them like that

“The one in Deal in Marke Wood has been redone, but you can only make money go so far.”

Gary Norris, 68, said he would instead prefer to see more investment in patrols to make the park safer.

He added: “The nets are broken, and within months of the storage hut being repaired and painted, it was covered in graffiti.

“They should put more money into patrolling the park, especially in the longer evenings.”

Connaught Park has the only council-operated tennis courts in the district, with all other facilities - including Marke Wood - run by outside organisations.

While the council admits funding for the park’s sporting facilities has been sparse, it says it has invested in tennis facilities elsewhere in the district.

A spokesman for DDC said: “We do understand residents’ comments, and the council’s Playing Pitch Strategy and Action Plan from August 2019 identifies priorities for improving tennis provision in the district.

“Since that document was published, the council has delivered significant improvements at Marke Wood, however, so far we have not been in a position to address issues raised regarding tennis provision in Connaught Park, and we continue to look into this.

“There is a range of excellent sports clubs and facilities in the district, including the tennis courts at Marke Wood where people can sign up for an hourly session on Saturdays for free, thanks to the Free Parks Tennis initiative from the LTA.

“We continue to work with communities to explore developing sports opportunities, and we are inviting people to come along to the Dover District Sports Spectacular at the Duke of York’s Royal Military School on Thursday, April 11, to meet local clubs and try their hand at a variety of sports.”