Sports clubs in Wallingford fighting a massive rent rise -- from £600 a year to £15,000 a year for their sports park -- have the town council on their side.

Wallingford Sports Trust, an independent charity which runs Wallingford Sports Park, face the increase after a rent review by South Oxfordshire District Council, which owns the land.

For the past 20 years the annual rent has been £600 and the trust expected it to go up to about £1,000. But the District Valuer said a £15,000-a-year commercial rent should be charged.

The trust also faces a bill for £23,000 back-rent accrued over the past two years while a new lease was being negotiated.

Without an immediate payment, the lease will not be signed. But the sports trust said it simply had not got the money.

Town councillors this week urged the district council to rethink the rise and come up with a more reasonable figure.

Chris Tyson, the district council's head of leisure, said the trust could apply for grants to help meet the rent rise, but a grant must be applied for annually and was at the discretion of the council.