A £400,000 pot of cash to help sports clubs stricken by the floods has been set up by Sport England.

The organisation has created the emergency flood relief fund, backed by the National Lottery, to help restore pitches and repair sports facilities damaged by the torrential rain on Boxing Day.

The funding is available to sports clubs, local authorities and other community sports organisations to help pay for emergency repairs to damaged facilities such as football, rugby and cricket pitches, water sports centres, pavilions, changing rooms and floodlights. Financial support can be provided in as little as three weeks.

"We appreciate that sport isn’t a major priority when people’s lives, homes and businesses are at risk. But once communities are starting to get their lives back to normal, being able to use their local pitch or sports club as usual can make a real difference," a Sport England spokesman said.

The fund will remain open until Monday, February 1, although that may be extended.

Shipley MP Philip Davies (Con) said: "There are a number of sporting clubs in my constituency badly damaged by the Christmas floods.

"They all do wonderful work in encouraging children to take up sport and giving them the opportunity to participate in sport and it is vital that they are able to repair the damage done as soon as possible.

"The funds needed are beyond the means of the clubs and that is why I wrote to Sport England asking them to help.

"I am delighted that they have responded so positively with this fund and I very much hope they can see the self-evident need of the clubs in my constituency and prioritise them for funding.

"I am happy to support those clubs affected in my constituency with any bids they make."

Tong Park Esholt Cricket Club, beside the River Aire, was flooded to a depth of five feet with nearby caravans swept onto its pitch and faces a tense few days to see if play might take place this season.

"We've still got three caravans on the pitch, but we're turning things round slowly after taking away 20 skips full of silt and rubbish," said club president Bob Wilkinson.

"The England Cricket Board have been down and are sending a 'doctor of grass' next week to see if it will be playable this year, so we have a bit of a nervous wait.

"Our treasurer and others are looking into the Sport England fund and putting our case together," he said.

Baildon ward Councillor Mike Pollard (Con) helped co-ordinate flood rescue in Esholt.

"I'm not very clear about the conditions attached to this, but in principle it seems like wonderful news," he said.

Visit www.sportengland.org/floodfund for more information.