A new £2m five-a-side football facility - located on the site of a former glassworks in the heart of St Helens, Merseyside - has been officially opened by footballer Alan Shearer.

The development, which boasts nine indoor, third generation pitches and a 65m x 25m (213ft x 82ft) pitch, will provide social and corporate leagues, local authority schemes and coaching for young people. Fives will also offer football sessions where players compete to the sound of samba-style music as part of efforts to increase participation and improve local leisure provision.

Peter Ainscough, the venue's managing director, said: "The Fives development has been a catalyst for a diverse range of community-based initiatives from young people in the region taking up coaching training to skills training with youngsters with learning disabilities." Bob Hepworth, director of urban regeneration and housing at St Helens Council, added: "This facility is the first of its kind in St Helens and will increase opportunities for all the community to participate in sport."