THREE lady darts players have been thrown out of their league amid accusations of swearing.

Prestwich and Whitefield Ladies Darts League slapped life bans on the trio for what it claims was a catalogue of unladylike behaviour.

Rosemarie Tatlow, landlady of the Wheatsheaf in Whitefield, her daughter Tania and fellow player Kath Bebbington (pictured) claim that they have been treated unfairly and are demanding to be allowed back to the oche.

A letter has gone out to all teams saying that complaints had been received about the Wheatsheaf team and, in particular, their bad language, inability to mark the board correctly, interference with fellow players, and arriving late at venues.

The team was suspended for three years and the players given life bans.

Team captain Tania (31), who lives with her mum at the Bury New Road pub, said: "We weren't given the chance to defend ourselves.

Rosemarie (51) added: "I hardly ever make a sound at matches: you wouldn't know I was there. Even someone accused of murder gets less than life and has a defence."

The committee's decision followed a "highly volatile and unpleasant" situation at a match at the Parkside Hotel in Prestwich last month.

Tania explained: "I was struggling to work out the scores and a man sat at the bar was shouting out my mistakes."

She asked if he wanted to score but was shouted at by a player from another team: his wife.

"She started swearing at me and had to be calmed down. The situation was volatile but it wasn't down to us, we weren't the ones using bad language."

Kath (41), of Malton Avenue, said: "I was up for a couple of trophies but it looks like I won't get a chance now."

League secretary Mrs Irene Hughes said: "We have had a number of written and verbal complaints and the committee's decision is final. All I can say is that the accusations were viable."