THE secretary of a crisis-hit club has hit back at members’ claims that he is keeping them in the dark over the organisation’s debt levels.

Cockfield Workingmen’s Club has an estimated debt of £71,000 and faces a hearing at the end of the month about possible winding-up proceedings.

A group of members are proposing to form a new club committee after becoming frustrated at the lack of information about the amount of debt.

But secretary Donald Metcalfe said that he was doing all he could to help the club and its 400-plus members.

“I have put notices up on the club notice boards and, yes, I have spoken face-to-face with members on a couple of occasions,” said Mr Metcalfe, a former Teesdale district councillor, who has been on the club’s committee for more than 33 years.

“Some of the members who have spoken out don’t understand how complicated the things that are going on are.

“It’s all very well them saying they will form a new committee, but how will they pay for things because Cockfield Workingmen’s Club’s bank account was frozen back in January?

“Since then I have been using my own account, making sure everything is accounted for.”

Mr Metcalfe also rejected claims he was happy to see the club close.

“People say to me I want the club to shut, but I would like nothing more than to see it stay open,” he said.

“I work without pay a lot of the time and I’m doing everything I can.”

Mick McGlasham, secretary of the Durham branch of the Club and Institute Union (CIU), said everything was being done to reduce the club’s debt. “We have an auditor who is going through six years-worth of figures trying to reduce the debt to the Inland Revenue and that is a long, complex process. He is working at no cost to Cockfield club,” he said.

“At the moment there is no point having a members’ meeting because we don’t have those figures.

“When he comes back to me with his final figures we will be in a position to hold a meeting and we will do that.”

Club member Michael Maroney said he would welcome any discussion with the CIU and the committee. “We just want to know what is going on so a meeting giving us some information would be very useful,” he said.