LEISURE chiefs are preparing to take Lottery bosses to task about alleged unfair treatment of Hyndburn.

Sportsmen and women in the borough claim the number and state of venues is going downhill fast.

But council bosses blame a lack of grants from the Lottery Sports Fund.

They are to meet the fund's top brass at a London conference next week. Hyndburn's lottery committee, which organises bids for the borough, claimed the last straw came when a £4million scheme to revamp Wilson's playing fields, Clayton-le-Moors, was thrown out.

The lottery money would have funded an indoor running track, climbing wall and social facilities.

Representatives of local sporting clubs made angry claims about the state of facilities at a town hall meeting.

They said there were not enough venues and changing facilities were inadequate.

Now they have called for an urgent meeting with Hyndburn's leisure chiefs to discuss their concerns.

Leisure services chairman Coun Ian Ormerod said: "I'm very disappointed with this decision. We've virtually been told that we're unlikely to win bids because we are so close to Manchester and not small enough to get grants of our own.

"We want to discuss the level of investment in the borough with the Lottery's top people. We have a right to know if we will be among the winners."

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