PROTESTERS were left fuming with football bosses, who failed to attend a public meeting called to discuss their club s proposed move. Members of Wisbech Town Football Club s committee were invited to last week s meeting at Walsoken Village Hall but did no

PROTESTERS were left fuming with football bosses, who failed to attend a public meeting called to discuss their club's proposed move.

Members of Wisbech Town Football Club's committee were invited to last week's meeting at Walsoken Village Hall but did not show up.

But Barrie Carter, chairman of Wisbech Town FC, said afterwards the club had not received a formal invitation to the meeting.

It was called so that residents could raise their concerns with the club about its proposed move to a nine-acre site behind Bronte House off Lynn Road, on the outskirts of town and on the Norfolk side of the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.

Speaking after the meeting Councillor Les Sims, Parish Council chairman, said: "We were able to get councillors and the public here but, unfortunately, the club didn't show and it is a great shame.

"We understood they were coming but, now they haven't. They have let themselves down."

More than 30 protesters, who live in Walton Road, Nursery Drive and Windmill Gardens, all three of which are close to the site, attended the meeting.

Edwina Howlett, secretary of Nursery Drive Residents' Association and one of the leading protesters, said: "We were more than disappointed to find that the football club didn't see the need to be represented.

"We were unable to ask any questions regarding the application and it feels like they are not concerned about how we feel about their plans."

Mr Carter said: "(Councillor) Roger Green told me there was a meeting coming up and (Cllr) Les Sims would like someone to go, but we never got a formal invitation."

After the public meeting, Walsoken Parish Council voted unanimously to recommend refusal of the plans, because of concerns raised by residents over privacy, possible light pollution, noise, increased traffic and their streets being used as an overspill car park.

The council's decision will be passed to King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council's planning department, which is set to make a decision in January.