LABOUR social club regulars were left angered and shocked when party officials walked in late in the evening and demanded the club's immediate closure.

They have claimed the Chester-le-Street Labour Social Club was shut last Friday and its steward Steve Benzie made redundant solely for political reasons.

Former club chairman Tom Conery said regulars had been caught unawares when five members of the executive committee went to the club shortly before 11pm on Friday to demand the keys and closure forthwith.

Mr Conery said: "The club was opened 23 years ago and was never set up to make a massive profit.

"But it was a viable concern and had money to cover its debts. There was no financial reason to close it - it was political.

"The club was the centre of opposition to the election of Kevan Jones as the constituency's MP."

He said the main concern now was to safeguard the interests of Mr Benzie who at 63 - just two years from retirement - is without a job.

Mr Benzie said: "I am disgusted by the way they have handled this. They just marched in and demanded the keys. I was shocked and initially did not hand them over, but then gave them a spare set and said I had to remove my belongings."

A short while later police arrived to tell Mr Benzie the locks were going to be changed the following day.

Mr Benzie added the constituency party had been considering a takeover by the social club's management committee.

Constituency party executive member Coun Edna Hunter said members had voted to mandate only chairman Coun Janice Docherty to comment on the matter.

But Coun Docherty declined to discuss the issue. She said: "The only statement that I am authorised to give is that the decision was made by the constituency Labour Party on the closure of the club.

"Regrettably this meant that the steward would be made redundant."

Mr Jones, who is attending an urban regeneration conference in Arkansas in the States, said his predecessor Giles Radice had rented a room in the club and this had helped pay the rent.

He added when he succeeded Giles Radice he chose to use his parliamentary allowance to rent an office in Sacriston - and without rent from the constituency office it was losing money.

He said when the club's committee had not attended a constituency meeting to which they had been invited, a decision was taken by the executive committee to close the club.

He added a redundancy settlement would be made with Mr Benzie.