A TEAM of cheerleaders have hung up their pom-poms in protest because they claim they have nowhere to practise.

The dancers have decided to go on strike until they are given a new home to rehearse the routines they perform in front of Leigh Centurians' Hilton Park crowd.

Stefanie Bridgewood, Katie McCaffrey, Maria Stansfield, Melissa Hutchings, Helena Rimmer, Natalie Sharples and Maria Jameson, aged between 12 and 15, now want a meeting with the Rugby League club's officials to sort out the situation.

Stefanie, aged 13, said: "We normally practise in the Mick Martyn Bar or the hut next door, but we can't get in or they kick us out early. We don't want to quit but our parents think that it is so badly organised it is unsafe.

"They want us to train on days when we can't get there. We are expected to be perfect but we can't practise anywhere."

The Centurions' girls are hoping the matter can be sorted out as they would love nothing better than to cheer on the team to victory in the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Challenge Cup quarter-final tie with arch enemy Wigan, scheduled for March 17 at Hilton Park.

Leigh Centurions chief executive Tommy Cunningham said there had been problems because the girls did not have a supervisor.

Mr Cunningham said: "We can't have them practising round the club without a supervisor. They used to have cheerleaders as young as eight.

"If they have not got proper supervision it's a bit unreasonable for them to turn up and expect to use the hall."

He added as soon as the girls get proper supervision the matter will get sorted out.