Padel is the world’s fastest growing sport, and its popularity is gathering pace across the UK. The state-of-the-art facility is only the second to arrive in West Lothian, the first to be covered, and one of the few fully indoor courts in Scotland.

Sergio Tansini, chair of West Lothian Leisure’s board, said: 'The padel court represents an exciting example of the work that West Lothian Leisure is doing to develop its offering, improving not only sporting provision but also health and wellbeing facilities across the county.

'I look forward to seeing our community enjoying this facility. We are committed to reinvesting in our facilities to ensure we provide the very best sport and leisure opportunities for West Lothian.

'If you haven’t tried padel I encourage you to give it a go, it is a fantastic game and accessible for people of all abilities.”

Harry Cartmill, ward councillor for Bathgate, cut the ribbon for the official launch and hailed the arrival of the padel court to the town.

He said: 'It’s a fantastic facility and I really applaud West Lothian Leisure and Xcite Bathgate for setting the court up here. It’s a little easier than regular tennis. I welcome anything that helps people get active whether it’s young people, or people my age!'

Bathgate youngsters have already had a chance to try their hand at padel. Primary four pupils from Balbardie Primary School enjoyed some taster sessions organised by the trust and delivered by Olivia Smart, a level 3 tennis coach and level 2 padel coach at the Lawn Tennis Association.

She said: 'This is one of the few padel facilities anywhere around here. It’s great to be able to introduce this sport to the community because it’s booming all over the UK and globally. It’s such an accessible sport for everybody – it’s pretty low impact.  You can really get into it, especially because it’s indoors.'

She added that it was a really positive step for the sport in Scotland, especially by showcasing it to children to inspire the next generation of padel players.