A RUGBY club has issued a last-ditch plea to town hall chiefs, saying they will disappear in a matter of months without help.

Committee members at Westhoughton Lions Rugby League Club have written to Bolton Council chief executive Bernard Knight, asking him to overturn a planning ruling which, they say, would put them out of business.

As well as seeing anthe rejected application to put houses on the home site of Westhoughton Cricket Club's home - which would have seen the two clubs become neighbours and share new facilities - turned down, they have been ordered by planners to move the entrance road to their home at The Hoskers, Planning bosses have told the club officials that they will have to move the entrance from Cunningham Road, to Cappadocia Way, at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds.

But committee member John Brownlow believes it is the council's duty to make sure the club - the only junior rugby league set-up in Bolton - continues to be attractive to youngsters.

Around 70 eight to 16-year-olds and their opponents are currently forced to change in steel containers with no heating or shower facilities.

Mr Brownlow is certain the club will be banned from playing at over 12 level after a wave of complaints from other teams who have become fed up with the poor facilities.

"The existence of the club beyond this year is now very much in doubt," he said. "Hopefully we can get the decision about the access overturned or relaxed to give us a bit of breathing space. That would be a start.

"If we are faced with having to do that in November, the likelihood is that we will have to fold. There is no way we can even begin to look at paying for something along those lines."

"If we have to move the access it would also mean us building a new car park and with our current financial status we just can't even begin to look at that. We would have to fold and we think the youngsters who enjoy coming down here deserve a better crack of the whip."