AN INDOOR bowling league is in danger of collapse after bowlers were left without anywhere to play.

Bowlers who play in the Indoor Winter League and travel from all over the area to play at Bacup Leisure Hall say they are "outraged" after bungling leisure bosses leased the hall to another group - despite them using the venue for the past 18 years.

And the bowlers, who come from Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, say they have only found out that they would have nowhere to play two weeks before the league was due to get underway next month.

Rossendale Leisure Trust bosses have accepted responsibility for the situation and said they are now working to resolve the matter.

League chairman Norman Pythain said: "This is an absolute disaster. The night that we were told we could not use the hall was the night the league died. We have been told we can't have it next year either.

"The manager of the hall didn't even have the decency to tell us himself, despite us holding our meetings at the hall when he was there. He left it to somebody else to tell us because he knew what our reaction would be.

"It just stinks. If you're over 50 then they don't care about you. But the fact is that we have young people playing bowls too. We have some 16 year olds involved as well as the older generation.

"We have been using it for 18 years and teams come from all over, including Burnley and surrounding areas, to play here twice a week from October through to May. There is no other building in this area big enough for us to use."

Around 14 teams of up to 15 players compete in the league, bringing young and old people together to play the sport.

Mr Pythain, 63, who plays for the Bacup Rec team, added: "The game gives people, older people especially, a chance to get out, keep fit and socialise. For the older generation this is their world because a lot of their friends have died and it gives them the opportunity to get out and meet new people."

Bacup ward councillor and former Mayor Jimmy Eaton said: "This is absolutely disgusting. The bowlers are all up in arms about this and I can't blame them. I had eight phone calls the other night about this. I phoned the leisure trust boss who said he would look into it. The courteous thing for the leisure hall manager would have been to ask the bowlers if they wanted to use the hall again this year. After they have used it for 18 years it would have been the reasonable thing to do."

Rossendale Leisure Trust's chief executive Gary Hood said: "I got a phone call about this matter yesterday. I have asked one of our senior managers to get in contact with the bowling club and meet with them.

"What we will be doing is trying to find a way round it. We don't want to force the bowling club out of the facility after 18 years of using it.

"We are going to try and resolve the matter. The leisure trust has been at fault on this occasion, they should have been in touch with the bowling league throughout the season to ascertain whether they wish to use it again this year."