PLANS to celebrate the 25th anniversary of a town s link with another in France have hit a major snag. Sandy Twinning Association is planning to visit its twin town of Malaunay near Rouen in Normandy during May. But owing to a sports club pulling out, the

PLANS to celebrate the 25th anniversary of a town's link with another in France have hit a major snag.

Sandy Twinning Association is planning to visit its twin town of Malaunay near Rouen in Normandy during May.

But owing to a sports club pulling out, the association is now desperately seeking new recruits to go on the trip.

The association is determined not to cancel the trip and if it cannot get enough people to fill a coach members will travel to France in their own cars.

The problem has been caused by St Neots Judo Club, which had originally said would represent Sandy in Malaunay, pulling out because it has lost so many members during the past year.

"This has come in the 25th year of our link with the French town so we are more determined than ever to still go," said Sandy Twinning Association chairman Max Hall.

"We will be holding a major event in Sandy in November with our French friends but this visit had been planned almost a year ago when the citizens of Malaunay came to Sandy with a sports community group involved with judo.

"They gave a presentation with the St Neots Judo Club during their visit.

"At the time the St Neots Judo Club said they would like to go on the return trip to France but before Christmas they informed us they would not be going because they had lost a lot of members."

Mr Hall now has until the end of January to find enough people who are interested in the May trip to France and is now appealing to Comet readers to help because time is so tight.

"Because the judo club had said they would go it meant we hadn't done anything for the past six months to fill the coach seats," added Mr Hall.

"It has left us with a big headache and we are now rushing around to find an alternative community group to join us.

"They might be artists or play chess, it doesn't matter. But the trip will go ahead as planned. If we don't go by coach then we will use our own cars."

The cost of the trip is £55 which is for the coach only as all accommodation is free in Malaunay with local people putting up the Sandy visitors in their homes.

The Sandy Twinning Association is also planning another trip to its link town (not twin town) of Skarszewi near Gdansk in Poland between July 15 and 19.

Anyone who wishes to go on the French visit can contact Mr Hall on 01767 681469.