Fenland Council says it has still not written off £16,000 owed to it when the former Wisbech Bowls Club based at the Hudson Leisure Centre collapsed.

The council said it worked with the club to try and save it but in the end was unsuccessful.

A Freedom of Information request reveals the council had hoped the situation could be turned around “and the club made sustainable and the debt paid off.

“During this time the debt continued to rise and the club were kept fully informed regarding their level of debt by way of monthly statements from the council’s finance team.”

The club closed last year but earlier this year a fresh group of volunteers came together to reform and agreed new terms with Fenland Council.

However the council says it has “not currently” written off the previous debt.

Officers agreed terms with the new club under delegated powers, says the council, although at one stage they were discussing the possibility of the town council taking over the club.

“I understand this was mentioned in a club forum but the town council was not required in the end to support the new club,” said a council spokesman

The council says it has no stake in the new club but “as a result of previous experience should the club fall behind with payments, the agreement will be cancelled”.

The spokesman confirmed that “from the council’s perspective the agreement is with Peter Human who is not a Fenland councillor”.

Mr Human, who became a Wisbech town councillor last year, joined forces last year with the then mayor, Councillor David Hodgson, to form a fresh committee to run the club.

Cllr Hodgson told the town council: “The district council are now very keen for us to form a new club and sign a lease for one year. After that it should be three to five years.”

He said membership was over 115 and that fees would be £30 per person per year.