ST ASAPH City Football Club are surveying the damage following the floods caused by Storm Ciara.

The Lock Stock Welsh Alliance Division One side’s ground was underwater when the River Elwy burst its banks on Sunday, February 9, leaving the pitch area needing significant treatment ahead of a busy series of fixtures in the coming weeks.

There was also substantial damage to the changing rooms, kitchen and storeroom, although the extent is not yet known as the building’s outer doors have buckled slightly under the water’s weight leaving club officials unable to get into the site.

The club are hoping the impact caused by the flood does not have an adverse effect on their ability to meet the new Tier 3 requirements issued by the Football Association of Wales next term.

Saints’ manager Daniel Brewerton, said: “The most important thing at the minute is that any residents affected are all safe and well.

“We are just hoping that any damage doesn’t put back any work done towards meeting the requirements for tier three next season. It’s hard to say just yet on that issue, hopefully it doesn’t set us back too much, just depends on what impact it has on the funds we have.

“The water has gone now but it’s left a right mess. It is hard to assess the financial cost it might have but a lot of the stuff looks ruined.

“The mower/tractor we use for the pitch is stuck in the storeroom, which we can’t get into at the minute, so we have no idea whether that has also been damaged.”

Denbighshire county council opened a rest centre at St Asaph Leisure Centre as a precautionary measure and provided temporary shelter for 53 people, who were evacuated from Llys y Felin, Mill Street and Spring Gardens caravan park.

Residents were able to return to their properties a few hours later, while caravan residents were placed in overnight accommodation.

Cllr Peter Scott, mayor of St Asaph, said the £6m flood defences that were funded by the Welsh Government and built by Natural Resources Wales in 2018 “did work” despite areas of the city falling victim to the storm, which included the football club.