ORGANISERS of Biggleswade Youth Club have pencilled next Thursday as the day it will reopen. The club which has its headquarters at Holmemead School was forced to close its doors in mid-January after play equipment failed to arrive. The equipment, which h

ORGANISERS of Biggleswade Youth Club have pencilled next Thursday as the day it will reopen.

The club which has its headquarters at Holmemead School was forced to close its doors in mid-January after play equipment failed to arrive.

The equipment, which had been paid for with a £3,500 grant from the Bedfordshire Police Authority, had been purchased from Bedford company World-of-Sport.biz.

The company promised the club they would have the equipment at the end of November.

Since then there has been a string of broken promises that culminated in the club being forced to close its doors because they had no equipment.

Two weeks ago the club warned World-of-Sport.biz they would ask for a full refund of the money and even threatened to call in the police if the equipment did not arrive by last weekend.

Even though the gear failed to appear the club has given the Bedford company until the end of this week as a final chance to meet its promise.

"I have had a long chat with the supplier and they have entered into a firm commitment it will be delivered by the end of the week," said club youth leader Paul Burne.

"They say the equipment is here but I have seen no written proof it has arrived. I know people will say we have heard all this before but I am optimistic the equipment could be with us by the end of this week.

"I spent a long time on the phone to World-of-Sport.biz and we all laid our cards on the table.

"This has not been a satisfactory deal for us and we will be glad when it is all over."

Club officials were due to meet last night (Wednesday) to decide on a date to reopen the club and have provisionally chosen Thursday, March 16, at 6.30pm.

Richard Wycherley at World-of Sport.biz said: "The equipment is in the country and is being cleared by customs. It will be with the youth club on Friday."

Despite yet another promise he could not identify the docks the equipment was being held at.

"If the equipment doesn't arrive on Friday the balloon will really go up," said club organiser Ken Lynch, who has been visiting schools in the area this week to drum up support for the club.