JUST 14 per cent of adults in Fenland are playing sport three times a week, a study has found.

The research published by Sport England revealed that around 16 per cent of people in the East were taking part in sport regularly - a total of almost 735,000 adults.

But the figures were slightly lower for Fenland, with 14 per cent of the 502 people surveyed playing sport three times a week or more.

The research showed that almost seven million adults across the country were regularly participating in sport.

This continues the slow but steady rise in participation seen over the past five years - with more than a million adults holding membership to a sports club.

The national figures have painted a mixed picture of progress in grassroots sport, with a strong growth in running and cycling but a decline in football and swimming.

Participation in netball has increased but there has been a drop in time-consuming and costly sports such as golf, sailing and skiing.

Sport England’s Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said: “It would be fair to describe the results as a mixed bag. It’s good to see a wide range of sports – from individual pursuits like running to small team sports like lacrosse - demonstrating that, with the right approach, increasing grassroots participation is a realistic ambition.

“What is concerning, however, is that a number of major sports have yet to deliver, despite significant levels of investment. They now urgently need to demonstrate their ability to grow participation in their sport and prove they can make a significant contribution to sport at the grassroots level.”