A LABOUR supporter has been banned from his local boozer because, according to the club's committee he tried to 'bribe' them for membership.

Mr Ian Hesketh of North Road, Preston, has been using the New Meadow Street Labour Club for about three years.

Six months ago he applied for membership and on the advice of two committee members and the former vice-chairman Jimmy O'Neill, Ian offered to let members use his car park next door to the club.

But when the committee received his letter, they 'took a dim view of his offer'.

They wrote back: "Your letter was read at our managing committee meeting on April 4 and what was offered so that you could get a membership form, was seen by the committee to be some sort of bribe to which they took a very dim view.

"After discussing the contents of the letter they decided no membership form (sic) and also that you are no longer to be allowed in the club." The letter was signed by the assistant secretary of the club, Charles Ashton.

Ian has written to the committee twice since but had no reply.

He finally appealed to MP Audrey Wise who also wrote to the club: "I cannot see that his generous offer for members to use his car park should be a reason to ban him." But he has still heard nothing.

Ian said: "If they offered me gold plated membership, I wouldn't take it now but I don't like being accused of bribing somebody."

Ironically the day before he applied for membership Ian won £1,000 in an 'open the box' competition. He donated £50 of it to the pensioners' outing and said: "I wrote and told them that if they regard that as a bribe as well, they should donate it to charity but I've heard nothing about that either."

The secretary of the club's committee Ken Porter has repeatedly refused to comment.

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