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

Officials of non-league club Willington AFC were shocked when they received a demand for payment of £3,795 from solicitors acting for Interbrew Ltd.

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

A further letter said the reason for the repayment demand was because the club was no longer trading with Interbrew and was buying its products from a wholesaler

But Willington club chairman John Phelan denies that 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 am sick and tired of phoning these people because they never get back to me. I am ringing them and they don't return the calls," he said.

"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 cannot trade with them any more because it is with their legal team."

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

He said: "They are a great big company and £4,000 is not a lot of money to them, but it is a hell of a lot of money to Willington Football Club.

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

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

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

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

Nobody from Interbrew was available for comment.