The famous Black Dyke band has sacked two players amid allegations that its only female member was being bullied.

But after four other members immediately resigned, the band took on two replacement members - both women.

Talented tenor horn player Lesley Howie, 21, fulfilled a life-time ambition in February when she became the first woman to join the band in its 144-year history. But she claimed things turned sour when other members started talking behind her back.

Today she would not comment, saying only: "I just want to finish all this. I've got final examinations in a week-and-a-half and I've had people telephoning me all the time."

But yesterday on a national radio programme Miss Howie, a student with the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, said: "They made it very obvious they didn't want me there and they'd do anything to try to shove me out and make me feel uncomfortable.

"They would talk about me behind my back but speak loudly enough so that I could hear."

Band administrator Geoff Whiteley said there had been a bad atmosphere within the band.

"It was a general uneasiness," he said. "They were not happy with it and James Watson, the musical director, said if they were not happy with the situation it was better if they left and went to another band where they would be happy."

In an interview with the Telegraph and Argus in February, Miss Howie said she had been in other all-male bands before, adding: "It's probably more strange for them having a woman there."

The two players who left were cornet players Kevin Crockford, 38, from Sheffield, a member for ten years, and Lee Rigg, 31, from Manchester. Neither was available for comment today.

They and one other have joined the all-male ranks of the Williams Fairey Band in Stockport.

Mr Whiteley said: "Players came in on the night and told us they were supporting us. It's like all things in life, it's a minority that causes the problem."

Auditions have been taking place this week and the new bandswomen are a soprano cornet player from Rotherham, and a cornet player from Cheshire.

Mr Whiteley said their appointments had nothing to do with their gender and everything to do with their ability.

He said more women had applied when they saw the all-male tradition had been broken.

"Lesley has come through it OK and . . . the band is much better than it was before," he said. "We did what we had to do and morale is now very high."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.