TENNIS players hoping for an ace indoor tennis centre in Dunfermline are to set to be let down as Fife Council rule out plans.

Judy Murray is a past player of Dunfermline Tennis Club and has pleaded for action to be taken to provide a lasting legacy for when her sons retire.

It’s been nearly 10 years since the Press revealed that Dunfermline had been shortlisted as a potential home for a Judy Murray Tennis Centre.

The Pitreavie playing fields had been earmarked as a suitable site but Fife Council told the Press this week that plans to serve up the facility to West Fifers are now off the table.

Andy MacLellan, team manager (community projects), said: “There are currently no plans to develop an indoor tennis centre.

“However, there are some strong tennis clubs in Fife and the new Indoor Tennis Centre based at St Andrews University, supported by Tennis Scotland & Sportscotland, has enhanced the provision. The council’s active communities team provide ongoing support to clubs around Fife.”

Ms Murray has teamed up with Tennis Scotland to urge the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Scottish Government to act now and ensure Andy and Jamie Murray leave behind top facilities to develop future tennis stars.

Ms Murray said: “The time has to be now. Whatever happens this year, Andy and Jamie won’t play forever, but we can make the most of what they’ve achieved and we can do that now.

“We need more public tennis courts, more indoor courts and a much bigger tennis workforce to get more people playing the game – and that is how we should measure legacy.

"This is not about statues or new, branded tournaments.

"It’s about investing in people.

“The word ‘legacy’ is always spoken about with the right intentions across a range of sports but I don’t want us to waste any more time talking about it – I want us to see action and delivery to make sure the legacy is realised and not left to wither after the boys’ playing careers have come to an end.”

Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland chief executive, added: “This is time-critical. At Tennis Scotland, our strategic plan for the next four years is about Delivering the Legacy but we can achieve so much more with a collective push at this important stage.”