It is now hoped the long-awaited opening of a town's new athletics facility will take place in July.

Work on the new track at the Three Hills Sport Park in Folkestone had to be halted last year over concerns about a water course running below the site.

Early work on the project had already started, with earth-moving equipment visibly marking out where the track would sit, but the depth of the culvert carrying the Pent Stream under the ground forced construction to cease.

A solution was eventually found, and now work is progressing to the point where bosses believe we are just months away.

To help fund the accessible and specialist equipment required for the new track, and ambitious crowd-funding campaign has been launched to raise almost £60,000.

Dan Hulme, chief executive of the Sports Trust which is responsible for Three Hills, said: "This has been a challenging project, but we're really excited that it is finally heading towards completion.

"This crowd-fund will allow us to equip the facility so it is fully accessible and available for all members of the community at all levels of ability."

Asked about the Trust's confidence that July will finally see the facility opened, Mr Hulme said: "With good weather and conditions we are hopeful, and great progress is being made now.

"It may slip into August if at crucial steps of the programme we have wet weather or wind which impacts the spraying of the track surface."

Currently athletes in Folkestone have to travel 25 minutes by car to reach similar facilities, at either Ashford's Julie Rose Stadium or at the Canterbury Academy.

The new facility at the Cheriton Road sports ground, which is backed by the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, will be home to Folkestone Running Club.