Installers of Bermuda?s new artificial pitch at the National Sports Centre will be returning over the next few weeks to resolve what are believed to be some ?minor? problems.

Stitching on the artificial surface has become more visible in recent months and NSC trustees want to ensure that the state-of-the-art facility isn?t ?cracking up?.

Asked this week whether there was any danger of the pitch having to be ripped apart and laid again, Trustees spokesman Sean Tucker said: ?I hope not. But there are a couple of issues that have to be resolved.

?We won?t know the full extent of any repair work until the installers return and that will be over the next few weeks. We?ve already had one person come in and take a look at it.?

Since its instalment, the pitch has been primarily used by Bermuda Hockey Federation whose season ended on the weekend.

But other sports have also shown interest in using the facility, particularly lacrosse.

Tucker admitted a thorough inspection of the pitch had been delayed in order that the BHF could complete their final games.

?The manufacturers are as concerned as we are,? he added. ?This particular pitch is one of the first of its kind laid anywhere in the world, an international prototype. And they want to ensure that it?s of the highest possible standard, as do we.

?The idea was that this pitch would be shown to other countries who had similar plans.?

Justin Freisenbruch, president of the BHF, said his organisation had been kept fully abreast of developments by the trustees.

?But we?re not sure exactly what will be happening at this point,? he said.

?We have been informed by the trustees that that there will be some maintenance on the pitch in the coming months. The installers are coming back to have a look at it.

?The stitching is slightly more visible than it was originally and I would think they want to make sure everything is OK.

?We have been kept in the loop by the trustees and obviously we understood there was always going to be some maintenance work required.

?It may be that the pitch won?t be available for part of the summer but that?s not going to affect us that much. We?ve just completed our domestic season and we wouldn?t have been playing on it a great deal throughout the summer.?

Freisenbruch conceded the new surface had given local hockey a huge shot in the arm.

?I have to say the pitch has been superb,? he said. ?It?s made a big difference to local hockey and everybody?s very happy. Chances are that when we get it back it will be even better.

?Our members have been kept up to date with what?s going on.

?We?ve packed our season into five months rather than the usual seven, so taking a break now is not going to mean too much hardship.?.