An angry parent has blasted Brighton and Hove Council for allowing youth football to be played at Patcham Place last weekend.

The pitch has been out of action since the floods last year, but council bosses allowed the Sussex Sunday Youth League to play matches there again.

Bill Marchant, whose son Craig plays for Mile Oak U-16s, could not believe it when he heard his boy had played at the ground.

He said: "I think the council has been very silly to open it up again. The nearby stream burst its banks and there was sewage on the pitch.

"I am concerned that the ground is still contaminated. It was my understanding that the council was going to keep the ground closed this season.

"There must surely be some muck there. I am not convinced it is safe."

The Sussex Sunday Youth League contacted the council after Waterhall was closed off because of the foot and mouth outbreak.

A council spokesman said: "We knew that the youth league were having difficulties and were happy to see if we could fix them up.

"The ground was inspected and it was felt that the pitch was now not heavily waterlogged. It was never to our knowledge that there was sewage on the pitch."

Adult matches have not been contested there this season, because there are no proper changing facilities after the pavilion was vandalised last year.

Although the pavilion has been rebuilt, an insurance company has refused to meet the cost of paying for electricity and water to be supplied to the building.

The council has been in lengthy discussions with their insurance company and are trying to find an economical solution to the problem.

However, Sussex Sunday League fixtures secretary Ernie Coleman and his Brighton League counterpart Alan Knight were angered when they heard that the council had allowed youth football to be played there.

Coleman said: "I thought it was out of action all season. I am going to be having a serious talk with the council."

What do you think about council pitches? Are they up to standard? If not, let us know your opinions?