Badminton tournament cancelled

The popular event, which attracted a high-calibre of player from throughout the county, has been held at the seafront venue since the late 1970s.

But the ongoing reparatory work to the famous old listed building has rendered it unfit for action.

Tournament organiser Brian Hobden, who has been involved in the running of the competition for 30 years, explained: "It's a shame. We could have gone to Bexhill Leisure Centre but it just wouldn't have been the same anywhere else."

He insisted though that the Bexhill Badminton Tournament, contested annually over three weeks in January, would not die and remains hopeful that the essential repairs will be completed by this time next year enabling them to go ahead as planned in 2005.

Entry forms were not even distributed and Hobden says he's received little feedback from the players.