A SURPRISE £5,000 charity draw win could have saved a small north Durham community's workingmen's club.

Pelton Fell Workingmen's CIU club was due to be wound up at a Leeds court today for allegedly failing to pay VAT.

But a surprise win on the Clubs and Institutes' Union (CIU) charity draw at the weekend has covered much of the debt, and it looks likely the club will not have to close.

Customs and Excise served the winding-up order in March.

Since then, the club secretary has left and the new team has had just a few weeks to find the money.

They had hoped their beer suppliers, Federation Brewery, could come up with some cash to stave off the tax collectors, but the club's stroke of luck has prevented the need for a hand-out.

One CIU member, who asked not to be named, said it had been a long, hard fight to try to save the club. He said: "The club is one of the very few social places that serve the community, so it was important we were saved.

"We still have other monies to pay and this struggle is not over by any means, but we are due to pay the money and stave off the closure."

Durham CIU secretary Jack Amos confirmed that the club had won the prize draw but warned that it could still be closed.

He said: "They won the draw but it was not absolutely definite that that had saved the club. We still have work to do. If it's true I am absolutely delighted because Pelton Fell is a very good club."

Spokesman for Federation Brewery, Rob Gavin, was convinced the club had been saved.

He said: "The brewery was concerned to hear that the club had been served with a winding-up order. However, we have been advised that they are able to resolve the issue themselves to pay VAT debt today to avoid closure. We are pleased to see the club has resolved the issue."

The number of workingmen's clubs has declined from 342 in 1982 to just 257. Last week, Sunderland Social Club was closed with more than £15,000 of unpaid debts.