A HAMPSHIRE BMX track is set to be rebuilt to national standards using a new £150,000 grant.

Riders at Gosport BMX Club say they are "overwhelmed and delighted" to receive cash to replace the facilities at Grange Road.

It is hoped the "substantial" improvements will secure the sport's Olympic legacy in Hampshire.

Gosport Borough Council applied in January to Sport England's Inspiring Facilities fund, which has poured £100 million into ageing sports centres since 2011.

Club chairman Stuart Catford said: “We are overwhelmed and delighted to have secured this investment. It will allow Gosport BMX Club to deliver a unique facility to the local community and south of England that meets the highest national and European standards. We will now be able to deliver a facility that matches the quality of our riders and allows them to realise their full potential whilst encouraging more people to partake in this fast, exciting and family oriented sport."

The revamp will include a new track including a start hill and safety gate, allowing riders to drop onto the course at the right time and avoid crashes.

A 'pump track' for beginners and car park improvements are also being planned.

Chairman of the council's community board, Cllr Graham Burgess, said: “This is great news for the club and for the borough. Providing sports facilities which enable children to get out in the fresh air and compete in an exercise they enjoy is important. BMX cycling at the Olympics drew huge audiences, which has driven many more children into taking up the sport. So it’s important we provide the right facilities to enable them to develop their skills further and maybe even become future Olympians themselves.”

BMX became an Olympic sport at the 2008 games in Beijing.