A BOWLS club is facing a financial crisis after being told it must pay full rent, which has been waived for the past few years.

The future of Darlington and District Indoor Bowls Centre has come under serious threat after Darlington Borough Council withdrew the lifeline it offered four years ago.

The premises, in North Road, is owned by the Morrisons store chain and rented to the council, which leases it to the bowls club.

Joe Burrows, a founder member of the 24-year-old club, said the council had helped out in previous years by waiving rents because of its troubled financial situation.

But he said this year the bowls centre was facing huge overheads because the authority was demanding the full rent, which was currently under review and had not been disclosed.

Mr Burrows, from Darlington, said: "This puts the future of the club under very serious threat. It would be a great shame if the doors were to close because the centre is a community asset."

About 700 people, aged between nine and 90, are members of the centre, which has been used to stage televised and international tournaments.

But Mr Burrows said its present financial problems were largely due to a significant drop in membership from the 3,000-plus on the books ten years ago.

"We need to get more people contributing to the centre if it is to survive," he said.

"We are looking at how to attract more users and raise more funds."

A council spokesman said it was no longer possible to defer the rent issue.

"In the past couple of years we have recognised that the bowls club has financial difficulties and helped out where we could in terms of rent payments," he said.

"But now we have competing priorities we are no longer able to do that."

Long-standing club member John Henderson, 66, of Parkside, Darlington, was disappointed with the news.

"Many older members participate in this very social sport, which keeps them agile in mind and body," he said.

"If the centre should close they may sit at home in their armchairs and fade away."