FURIOUS community group members threatened with losing their "home" are demanding a public meeting to grill council chiefs.

Clubs that use the Institute building in Escrick Street, including Melbourne Youth Club, say they have been left in the dark about the council's plans to stop leasing the building from nearby Melbourne Terrace Methodist Church.

At a packed meeting of the Fishergate ward committee, residents and users of the clubs demanded that Paul Herring, head of City of York Council's youth service, should attend their next ward committee meeting to update them on the council's plans.

Jonathan Tyler, who chaired the meeting, said: "Something has gone badly wrong and we need an explanation."

The youth club will close on March 31 because of a council shake-up in its services for youngsters.

That means other clubs which use the building - a Gateway Club for disabled youngsters and two pre-school groups - will also be potentially homeless by the summer.

More than 40 people have so far signed a petition protesting against the move.

Youth club member Fran McCarthy, 13, told the meeting: "We've been talking about young people and graffiti - and now they're thinking of shutting the youth club down."

Sarah Sim, whose son goes to the youth club, said: "Why isn't there a representative from the youth service here tonight? I've been told the decision on the youth club was made in November."

Fishergate ward councillor Mark Hill said: "I'm utterly aware of how important this (the youth club) is - there's so little else in the area for kids to do. We don't want to shut down this club."

Speaking outside the meeting, Sarah Pirie, who runs the Gateway Club with her husband, Simon, said she was "raving" about the closure threat. The club meets on a Tuesday night and offers leisure activities to nearly 50 disabled people, aged between 13 and 40.

Mr Herring told the Evening Press he would be pleased to attend a ward committee meeting.

But he added that he was arranging a separate meeting for threatened clubs at the beginning of March. He said: "All I can do is apologise for the confusion."

He said the youth club was being closed because Ofsted inspectors had told the council that the building was not of a high enough standard.

Updated: 09:42 Saturday, February 19, 2005