A BRIDGE club fined more than £20,000 after a woman was crushed to death by a pillar is warning other organisations to take precautions.

Lesley Fraser, aged 29, was killed when a pillar fell on top of her as she moved boxes out of Bolton Bridge Club in Chorley Old Road.

The club was fined £20,261.36 after pleading guilty to two charges of breaking the Health and Safety Act by failing to ensure the premises were safe.

But president Rita Riding says she fears other voluntary groups could be leaving themselves open to similar prosecution without realising.

Former house chairman Edward Wardle, who narrowly escaped a personal prosecution, is currently in hospital after suffering a stroke and has suffered depression since the accident.

The court case heard that Mr Wardle had been warned that the pillar was unstable. He checked it but decided it was safe.

Mrs Riding said: "We are a non-profit making organisation and I don't think unpaid volunteers can be expected to foresee such a danger.

"Mr Riding has felt very guilty every since and his health has suffered, but an accident is an accident and can't be predicted. I think other clubs should be aware that they could face prosecution if anything happens on their premises."

The club was able to pay the fine from money set aside for refurbishment work.

Mrs Riding said: "We might have to manage without the repair work for a while, and maybe put the subs up next year to pay for it.

"But smaller clubs would not be able to pay such a fine and might have to close which would be a grave shame. We want to warn them how careful you have to be."

The club, which formed in 1946 and bought the building in 1951, is a limited company but is non profit-making.