Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has entered the New Year in patriotic style with the unveiling of Union Jack-inspired hockey pitches.

The red, white and blue artificial surfaces at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre measure 101m by 63m, making them one of the country’s largest Great British symbols

The venue, formerly known as Eton Manor and used for wheelchair tennis at the London 2012 Paralympic Games will officially open in the spring.

Both pitches can be floodlit for use all year round and have 3,000 permanent seats, which can be extended to 15,000 for major events.

And with England Hockey already securing the Women’s World Cup in 2018 and EuroHockey Championships for August 2015, Stratford could host some of the world’s finest in the coming years.

Dennis Hone, chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “We are on track to deliver yet another world-class sporting venue for use by both elite players and the local community.”