PROTESTORS angry at losing part of a council leisure centre staged a last-ditch demonstration outside a doomed building yesterday.

The old Brancepeth Miner's Welfare Hall, in Willington, County Durham, was shut down last night as part of money-saving cutbacks at the Spectrum Leisure Complex, which has also been stripped of its loss-making ski slope.

Now, an energetic group of campaigners is determined to win enough support to get the 74-year-old hall open again and run it as a centre for the whole Willington community.

Some of them say they have used the hall since their childhood, when their miner fathers paid 6p a fortnight to keep it going.

Trustee Dorothy Allan said: "We are worried that once it is boarded up we will lose it. We are hoping that we can get enough support in the community to get funding together and run it again.

"The hall is supposed to be in trust for the people of Willington to be used as a recreation and community centre, and we are determined to keep it."

Another resident, Lilian Bennett, said: "We wanted to draw attention to what the council has done. There has been no consultation with the people of Willington."

Wear Valley District Council's leisure director, Paul Dobson, said: "We are undertaking an assessment of all community buildings and will work with any organisation that can demonstrate a use for the hall but the council isn't in a position to fund it."

To support the group, call Mrs Bennett on (01388) 746865 or Jean Walters on (01388) 747827.