A VILLAGE football club has accused a major national brewery of using bullying tactics to force it to pay back almost £4,000.

Officials of non-league Willington AFC were shocked to receive a demand for payment of £3,795 from solicitors acting for Interbrew (UK) Limited.

The letter said the club must pay the full amount within seven days or face possible legal action.

A further letter claimed the reason for the demand was that the club was no longer trading with Interbrew and buying its products from a wholesaler.

But Willington chairman John Phelan denies it is the case and says the club has a long-standing loan account agreement with the brewery. All attempts he has made to clarify the matter have ended in frustration.

He said: "I'm sick and tired of phoning these people because they never get back to me. I'm ringing them and they don't return calls.

"To be quite honest all their facts are wrong. This loan was taken out with Vaux in the first place.

"We have been refused orders of two barrels of lager and a barrel of beer. They say we can't trade with them any more because it's with their legal team."

He said even a compromise offer of £40 a month to repay the loan would stretch the club's finances.

Mr Phelan said: "They're a great big company and £4,000 is not a lot of money to them, but it's a hell of a lot of money to Willington Football Club.

"Times are hard and now they're not even letting us order from them. What to they want us to do?

"They're threatening us with court action. I don't think it'll go that far, but if we have to offer £40 a month it's ridiculous.

"Gate receipts for the last two home games have been under £10, that's not success and anyone can see we're going to have a cash flow problem.

"I'm annoyed with Interbrew because I think they should bend a bit. They're a big company and we're a struggling football club and this is bullying tactics."

Nobody from Interbrew was available for comment.