VILLAGERS have been issued with a "use it or lose it" ultimatum by the small band of volunteers who run their community centre.

Without a pub or a school and with only one shop in Toronto, near Bishop Auckland, the centre is the only place for residents to get together.

Its future is now in doubt because bookings have dropped to just three a week and the committee which has worked hard to keep it open said it cannot carry on without more support. A poorly-attended public meeting this week will be followed up by another meeting on November 26, but former chairman Norah Davidson fears the decision is already made.

She said yesterday: "We've told the village it is up to them. We need their support or the centre will close.

"There are only three of us left to run it now and we all work so we haven't much time. There is not enough income to pay the bills.

"We only have the junior youth club, the senior youth club and the Brownies and it is a shame because they are well attended.

"Without the centre the village will have no heart.

"There will be nowhere for families to meet up and there will be even less community spirit than we have now."

The community association took over the centre in February 1964 nearly a year after the youth club was granted the lease of the village's old Victorian primary school by owners Durham County Council.

By then, an energetic fund-raising campaign was under way. A jumble sale brought in enough money to buy a table tennis table and a snooker table was acquired from Wolsingham Working Men's Club.

The centre became a hive of activity with regular dances and social evenings, over 60s and WI meetings, a play group and a carpet bowls club.

Mrs Davidson, who runs Toronto's post office, said: "We have plenty of equipment but it is not being used. The building will probably be sold and there will be no chance of starting up again."