Renfrewshire residents have been served up a major boost after recently refurbished tennis courts in the area were opened for play.

Freshly renovated facilities at Brodie Park in Paisley, Park Road in Johnstone and Robertson Park in Renfrew are now available to members of the public.

To celebrate the curtain being drawn back on the courts, they will be free to use until the end of July but online booking must be done in advance.

As part of an investment in the racket sport from the LTA Tennis Foundation and UK Government, which was delivered by the Lawn Tennis Association, more than £300,000 was spent on works at the three locations.

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Councillor Andy Steel, an SNP representative for Johnstone South and Elderslie, visited Park Road last week and spoke of his joy at the transformation.

He said: “I couldn’t be happier to see the courts open for play.

“I hope they prove popular, are well-used and that they become the feature of Johnstone life that they used to be.

“They’re certainly more attractive than the old blaes courts and a million miles away from the ruined condition of the last 20 years.

“It’s great to see investment in the town so fair play to everyone who has helped bring this regeneration about.

“Whether folk are new to the game or someone who has maybe not played for a while, I’d encourage everyone who’s able to give the new courts a try.”

Players can book the tennis courts through Club Spark, either by downloading the app or booking through OneRen or LTA’s website.

Free tennis is being offered throughout the month of July to encourage people to try the new facilities.

From August, tennis will only be free at certain times and a fee will be charged beyond these times. A finalised pricing model will be shared at a later date.

Councillor Bruce MacFarlane, an SNP representative for Paisley Southeast, said: “I’m delighted that they were open and operational in time for the start of Wimbledon, which obviously started last Monday.

“It hopefully encourages more people to go along and take up a sport and means existing players have a decent facility to use to work on their skills.”

When asked if he would be picking up a racket himself, Councillor MacFarlane quipped: “I can just about pull myself together for a game of five-asides but tennis is not my expertise.”