A NORTH-EAST gymnastics club is blowing the whistle for the last time after 35 years.

Thousands of youngsters have passed through the doors of Saltburn Gymnastic Club, in east Cleveland, achieving success around the world.

Coach Clive Lee, now 78, has trained generations of gymnasts to the highest level - all on a voluntary basis and with the support of his wife, Elsie, 73.

But after 35 years at the helm, the couple have decided to retire from the professional side of the sport.

Their retirement will see the end of Saltburn Gymnastic Club because a lack of volunteers with the necessary skills and experience means no one is available to continue the work.

The couple will, however, continue to teach beginners once a week and, if advanced and skilled enough, they will direct them to other professional clubs in the region.

Mr Lee said: "It is never a good time to pack up - it is always going to be sad - but I have been doing it a long time and it is hard work getting down there four times a week."

Last month, Mr Lee was presented with the Torch Trophy Award after he was nominated by British Gymnastics for his services to the sport.

He was presented with a certificate and trophy by the Duke of Kent at an awards ceremony at The Army and Navy Club, in London.

Mr Lee said: "The letter just came through the post - I thought someone was pulling my leg at first."

Mr Lee founded the club in 1973 and remains the senior coach, teaching gymnasts of all ages four times a week at Saltburn Leisure Centre.

He began his life-long love affair with the sport after being taught how to back-flip at school in Whinney Banks, Middlesbrough.

His enthusiasm for the sport continued during his career as a PT instructor in the RAF, where he trained with former heavyweight boxer, Brian London.

After marrying and having children who wanted to try gymnastics, Mr Lee took coaching courses so he could start his own club. His children are still involved in the club - as are his grandchildren.

Although he has not coached at the highest levels of international gymnastics, Mr Lee has always been a strong supporter of the organisation and management of regional gymnastics, holding a number of roles on regional committees.

Tomorrow, Mr and Mrs Lee, from Marske, east Cleveland, will mark their retirement with an open evening at the leisure centre, from 6pm to 9pm.

The event will include displays from past and present years, along with a display of photographs and videos from the 35 years of the club's existence.

Mrs Lee said: "It will be an emotional evening."

Speaking of the club's imminent closure, Mr Lee said: "It would be nice to have someone take it on, but people don't have the commitment and there are so many regulations - it is very complicated running a club. There is a national shortage of coaches.

"We do it for nothing, but you don't get many people doing things like that for nothing. It has also become very expensive to work in leisure - it costs £12,000 a year for the centre."

The couple will run a beginners' club on Wednesday evenings at the leisure centre, from 6pm to 8pm, for five-year-olds and older, starting on January 9.

Mr Lee said: "We still want to show youngsters the sport is going on and lead them into the sport.

"It is also keeping something going in the centre - they have been very supportive of the gymnastics club for all these years and we would just like to put a bit back.

"That part is still very popular but it is now a very technical sport - the further up you go the harder it gets and it's more time-consuming to get to the top - you're talking about 25 hours a week, so very few people carry on now.

"Over the years, we have taught some super kids and had marvellous results - we have got a lot of joy out of it."