Northavon Bowls Club has hit back at Bradley Stoke Town Council saying the rental agreement offered to them does not give them “anywhere near the rights” they have under the current deal.

A club spokesperson told The Bradley Stoke Examiner the club was prepared to pay the rates asked for the next four years but did not want to hand over a “blank cheque” when the costs were due to be negotiated in 2012.

This follows a day of action from the club which saw them gain access to the bowls green at Bailey’s Court and try to play an impromptu game.

The spokesperson claimed the club was within its rights to hold the match: “Under the terms of our agreement we gained access to the green and took some photos of ourselves.

“We planned to play a game among club members but the police were called so we abandoned that.

“We were advised by South Gloucestershire Council that the town council was in breach of its agreement with us, and we were perfectly entitled to gain access because our agreement allows us access.”

The spokesperson went on to claim that the town council deal was not fair on the club and would mean costs could go up after the initial four years of the deal.

“The reason [the negotiations] have broken down is that they are trying to force us into signing an agreement which doesn’t give us anywhere near the rights we have in our current agreement and also gives them the right to charge us anything they like after the first four years of the term.

“The first four years we are prepared to pay what they’re asking, we don’t have a problem with that, but after that they say that they can charge us what they like and we’re not prepared to give them a blank cheque.”

The club faces eviction from their home at Bailey’s Court, having been asked to remove their equipment by the end of the month, if a solution is not found to the dispute.