JUNIOR football teams in Earby have demanded that councillors build them new changing rooms after a "monumental cock-up" saw theirs demolished.

The former community centre at Earby's North Holme estate was due to be dismantled and rebuilt on the Recreation Ground off Skipton Road, where it would have a new life as a sports changing facility. But instead, the building was demolished and burned after Pendle Council allegedly forgot to arrange for its removal and then said it wasn't needed.

Now the young footballers who would have benefited from the new changing facilities, led by Earby Town Boys, are writing to the council asking it to fix the mistake.

The youngsters currently have no changing rooms and have to return home covered in mud after each match or training session.

Earby Councillor Doris Haigh said the footballers now wanted Pendle Council to build new changing facilities before the start of the next season. She said negotiations surrounding the former community centre had been going on for two years and now because of a "slip of the tongue" it was no longer available for the footballers.

"I hope some good can come out of this. The feeling in Earby is that we are the last in the line. They feel Pendle Council does not care about them," added Coun Haigh.

The demolition of the centre was the result of a long sequence of events.

Part of the North Holme estate, known locally as The Ranch, is being developed by Cawder Construction. As part of the planning permission to build houses on the community centre site, the firm agreed to build a brand new centre elsewhere, which it has now done.

Meanwhile, land at The Rec was being redeveloped as a football field for local junior teams and needed changing rooms. The old prefabricated community centre was thought to be the ideal solution.

Cawder Construction agreed to dismantle the building and rather than demolish it, gave Pendle Council two weeks to remove it.

However, it seems arrangements to take it away were never made and when Cawder Construction contacted the council to find out what was happening, it was told the building was not needed and could be demolished.

Pendle Council's Philip Mousdale who is leading an investigation into the matter said he had spoken to a number of councillors and the construction company, but had yet to discuss the issue with council officers.

He hoped the investigation would be completed by April 18 when he would present a report to the council executive.