OFFICIALS at a Lancashire League Cricket club today denied rumours that it faces ruin after losing an appeal to prevent a man badly burnt in a bonfire night accident claiming substantial damages against the club.

Michael Bottomley's face and hands were badly scorched while he helped to set up a pyrotechnic stunt at the club in November 1997. He can now sue Todmorden Cricket Club for damages after a ruling by Court of Appeal judges.

They said that organisers of the Guy Fawkes Night show at the club failed to select a 'suitable' contractor for the fireworks display and that the club was liable for the injuries suffered by Mr Bottomley.

But today the club's chairman, Ian Highley, said any compensation awarded would be paid by insurers and added: "There have been a lot of rumours circulating about the club going under, which is nonsense.

"All the court costs have been paid by our insurance company and any compensation awarded will be covered by our insurance. We have seen a rise in the price of our premium, but that's to be expected.

"At the end of the day he was a member of the stunt team, we didn't pay them any money. We believed them to be insured but, as it turned out they weren't, so one would have thought they would be liable but we were."

Dismissing an appeal by Todmorden Cricket Club, Lord Justice Brooke said the club allowed the dangerous event to take place on its land with no public liability insurance and no written safety plan.

He said it failed to take ordinary precautions which would probably have resulted in the show, during which Mr Bottomley was injured, not taking place.

In December last year a judge, Mr Justice Simon, ruled that the club was liable to compensate the 35-year-old Rochdale car mechanic, who claims the injuries he suffered have limited his ability to work with his hands.

But at the hearing in the Appeal Court on Friday the club failed to overturn that ruling, arguing that it should not have been held legally responsible because Mr Bottomley had been asked to help by two men, trading under the name Chaos Encounters, brought in to stage the display for the club's annual bonfire night charity event.