A FRESH war of words has errupted in the smouldering dispute over hanging or not hanging a memorial cloth in a Forest hall.

Shocked Darby and Joan Club members who turned up en-masse to present a petition to the Ruardean Woodside Memorial Hall committee claim the meeting was abruptly cancelled.

Left outside the hall, furious members were almost speechless with rage.

"The way we're being treated is absolutely disgusting," said Velda Simonds, the Darby and Joan club's member on the hall committee.

"It is despicable. No one told us the meeting was cancelled, it's been advertised and they must have known we were coming. Even the committee treasurer turned up, she obviously didn't know it was off either. It come to the point where you can't trust anything you're told."

The ongoing dispute which has sharply divided the Woodside community was expected to come to a head at the monthly hall committee meeting last Monday evening (April 12).

Darby and Joan members said they'd been assured they were on the agenda and were intending to present their 850 signature petition in support of rehanging the club's memorial cloth.

They also said they were told it was the deadline to put forward nominations for the committee, should, as rumoured the entire present committee resign.

Maggie Bates, one of the leaders of the campaign to reinstate the cloth said: "We're not against the committee. No way. We've always said they're doing a good job. It's about one thing and one thing only and that's their decision not to put our cloth back up."

Claims that the meeting had been cancelled or the date changed were flatly denied by hall committee member, Mr Clive Reed.

While he refused to comment on the row he said: "The meeting is next Monday (April 19) and is an AGM followed by a normal committee meeting. Details of this, with dates, have been clearly posted around the village, in the village Post Office, the shop and at the hall for a month now."