A CHAMPION figure skater has backed ambitious plans to bring an ice rink to Southampton for the first time in more than 20 years.

Chris Howarth, 1980 British figure skating champion, has given his support to proposals to build a £10m ice rink complex on the former Chantry Hall site in St Mary’s.

The 49-year-old, who represented Great Britain alongside Robin Cousins at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, USA, described plans put forward by developer Colin Warburg for a new ice rink in the city as “fantastic”.

Chris said: “The plans look really good. There is obviously massive support for a rink in Southampton. The fact that the ice skating club has kept going for more than 20 years without a rink of its own is testament to that.

“I have a real affinity with Southampton having skated in many competitions and shows there and it would be fantastic to see an ice rink return to the city.”

Chris skated at numerous competitions and shows at the old Top Rank ice rink during the 1970s and 1980s. It was at Top Rank that he met his future wife and city skater Beverley Dempsey, who competed at international level and won bronze at the British Championships, one of the best results ever achieved by a Southampton skater.

Chris now runs an ice skating academy in the USA and commentates for Eurosport alongside Dancing on Ice judge Nicky Slater.

He said: “An ice rink in Southampton would play such a huge part in the community and I thoroughly support the proposals.”

The proposed complex would house a 56m by 26m rink, cafe, restaurant, and gym as well as a number of retail outlets.

The rink, which could create up to 200 jobs, could also become home to a city-based ice hockey team and provide a home for figure skaters.

Ice skating campaigners, enthusiasts and interested members of the public went along to a series of meetings at St Mary’s Church last week to see and hear how the long-awaited return of ice skating might become a reality.