A bitter payment row has broken out following the refurbishment of Haworth's Royal British Legion Club.

Local tradesmen and companies involved in the refit are still waiting for full payment for the work, which was completed before Christmas last year.

Debbie Davison, of Lowbridge Upholstery, Keighley, was employed by D & R Construction to supply the seating for the club. She is still waiting for around £1,500 in outstanding bills.

"We went up to the British Legion at Haworth by request of D & R Construction to give them a price for supplying new seating for the club which was having a full refit. We finished the job in early December and the final bill was £6,227.50, yet to date we have only been paid £5,000," says Debbie.

Debbie says she has had to employ a legal company to try and recoup the balance and has almost got into difficulties with her bank.

She says: "There's something not right. It's seven months now. To a small company £1,500 is a lot. By the time I get it and have paid for the legal services and bank charges I'll only get a pittance from it."

Debbie has appealed to the club to settle the balance with her directly, but they insist the money goes through D & R. She says D & R understandably will not pay her until they have been paid.

Don Jones, one half of D & R, says he is owed £22,000 and that the matter is now in the hands of his solicitors

"We were appointed to do the job and I got people in like Debbie to give quotes for the work. The work has been done and now we can't get the money," says Mr Jones.

Mr Jones says the problems started when the architect originally contracted to oversee the refit was dropped and a club committee was set up to agree on pricing and the supply of the various fixtures and fittings.

Mr Jones, who runs D & R with business partner Richard Taylor, says the committee agreed all the quotes as the work was progressing but has balked at the total price now the work is complete.

"They wanted to buy a Rolls Royce but they want to pay for a Mini," he says.

Mr Jones says there are other companies waiting for payment in addition to his own and Lowbridge.

He says: "They're now just dragging their feet. They've sent a letter saying 'Can we have a breakdown of the costs?' but they have already got that because they had copies of the invoices as we went along. They knew before we started what the prices were."

Haworth Royal British Legion chairman Eric Taylor declined to comment.

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