A MIXED-UP booking at two Spread Eagle hotels caused a flutter for a social outing.

The flap started after the Blackburn and district Rheumatoid Arthritis Group booked a meal with the proceeds of a £500 National Lottery grant.

But due to a mix-up, tables were booked at both the Spread Eagle at Barrow, near Whalley, and its namesake a few miles away at Mellor.

Chefs at both Spread Eagles cooked up an impressive spread of food and were waiting for the party to wing their way in at 1.15pm.

A Lancashire Evening Telegraph photographer was also on hand to cover the lunch, which was the group's first social event for a long time. But by 1.30pm the party had not arrived at either hotel.

Staff at the Spread Eagle, Mellor, then telephoned the Whalley hotel to check if there had been a mix-up. And there had!

The group of 32 finally turned up at the Whalley hotel at 2.10pm, nearly one hour late, after being held up.

A mountain of steak and kidney pies was left untouched at the Mellor hotel, and a spokesman for the hotel said: "We are not very happy about this. I think the organiser rang here to book the meal and then rang the other Spread Eagle at Whalley to confirm the booking."

A spokeswoman at the Whalley Spread Eagle said: "There has been a double booking and I think they are upset over at Mellor."

Alice Phillips, who organised the meal, said she would write to the Spread Eagle at Mellor and explain what had happened.

She said: "We had a lovely day despite the coach being held up. I was sorry about the mix-up, but I never actually booked a table at the Mellor Spread Eagle.

"I did ring them and they said they only had tables around the bar. I went back to the members and they did not really fancy that so I booked at the Whalley Spread Eagle instead."

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