HE is estimated to be worth £170 million and is one of the famous faces of BBC2's hit television show Dragon's Den. But today The Press can reveal Duncan Bannatyne will not waive a £10 a month gym fee for a York Hospital nursing sister battling cancer.

Now the York gym owned by the Scottish tycoon is being branded tight-fisted for refusing to waive charges to Susan Maule-Farrell while she undergoes gruelling chemotherapy.

Susan, 49, from Rawcliffe, has recently started a course of chemotherapy for chronic lymphatic leukaemia, which she was diagnosed with eight years ago.

She pays £36 a month for her membership of Bannatyne's Health Club in Nether Poppleton, under a contract started about three years ago when it was run by LivingWell.

But after the gym refused to freeze her membership while she fought off the potentially fatal condition she went straight to the top to plead her case with Mr Bannatyne, pictured. His response: "I cannot help."

Fitness tycoon refuses to waive gym fee of leukaemia victim

A GYM owned by a TV "dragon" has refused to stop charging a York Hospital employee membership while she has cancer treatment.

Scottish fitness tycoon Duncan Bannatyne is famous for being one of the panellists on TV's "Dragon's Den".

Now a York gym in his health empire is being branded tight-fisted for refusing to waive charges to York Hospital nursing sister Susan Maule-Farrell while she undergoes gruelling chemotherapy.

Furious Susan, 49, said: "I'm absolutely outraged. I'm disappointed as well, I really like to use the gym, I just think they can't treat people like this. It's just unacceptable behaviour."

Susan, from Rawcliffe, has recently started a course of chemotherapy for chronic lymphatic leukaemia, which she was diagnosed with eight years ago.

She pays £36 a month by direct debit for her membership of Bannatyne's Health Club in Nether Poppleton, under a contract started about three years ago when it was run by LivingWell - but her fees were shortly to go up to £45.

Knowing she would not be well enough to go to the gym for a while, she phoned up to freeze her membership, intending to take it up again when she was better.

But she was stunned when she was told she would have to pay a one-off fee of £12.50 plus £10 a month for the privilege unless she could give 30 days notice to cancel the contract.

"Cancer doesn't always give you 30 days notice," she said. "I'm disappointed that their financial gain comes before my health. I've been absolutely gobsmacked they could even think about treating people like this."

She felt her case should be treated as exceptional because she is undergoing cancer treatment, which should mean not paying for membership while she cannot use the gym. Angry about the gym's response, she even emailed Duncan Bannatyne himself, who apologised but said he could not help because she had joined the club under a LivingWell contract and was therefore obliged to abide by its conditions. Now she has cancelled her membership, and said several colleagues at York Hospital had done the same as a protest gesture.

A spokesman for Bannatyne Fitness said: "The original LivingWell contract Mrs Maule-Farrell signed contains a freezing clause, which offers a substantial reduction on her monthly membership fee for the period of her treatment.

"We wish her well for her chemotherapy and look forward to welcoming her back to the club."

The email from Duncan Bannatyne

Dear Susan, Thank you for your mail.

You joined the club on a Livingwell contract and you are obligated to comply with the conditions of that contract.

I am sorry to say that there is little I can do to help you except to say that every health club operator that I know requires 30 days notice to suspend your membership.

Sorry I cannot be more helpful.

Duncan Bannatyne

Profile of Duncan Bannatyne

Duncan Bannatyne began his entrepreneurial life by trading in cars, then ice creams before switching to nursing homes, becoming a multi-millionaire in the process. He then built up a chain of health clubs called Bannatyne and also owns Bannatyne's Casino, Bar and Hotels.

He is estimated to be worth more than £170m.