CITY leisure boss councillor Peter Wakeford last night told angry campaigners battling to keep a historic Southampton leisure centre open that there is no money to keep it.

About 150 people attended a lively public meeting at St Mary's Leisure Centre to urge the city Cabinet member for leisure and tourism not to scrap the 115-year-old building.

Amid speculation that the centre in St Mary's Road has already been earmarked by the council for use as an archive storage unit, a sympathetic Cllr Wakeford, pictured, told campaigners that he would ask the Cabinet to look again at the proposals.

However he warned that he could be out-voted by Cabinet. He said: "It is quite honestly a cost saving exercise.

"We have to find savings right across the council including my portfolio. If we don't get council tax down to a reasonable level the government are going to cap us."

He added: "There is no budget for it, we would have to find the money. I will express my concerns to the Cabinet but I could be out-voted."

During an hour-long grilling, Cllr Wakeford told opponents that closing it would make a saving of £129,000 a year. Keeping it open would mean repairs costing more than £400,000 over five years.

Meanwhile a new £6m Healthy Living Centre, to be built nearby in Charlotte Place, would include a GP surgery and physiotherapy unit.

But Cllr Wakeford admitted the Healthy Living Centre would not have the same wide range of sports facilities and that complete funding has not yet been secured.

Campaign organiser Nick Chaffey said: "I feel the figures are exaggerated partly to justify the closing of the building. If this building closes there is no local facility for indoor sports for people to use at a time when the government wants people to be more healthy."

Mike Tucker, a UNISON member representing council workers told the meeting that the council had already earmarked the building for use as a store room.

Mr Tucker, from Shirley, said: "I don't think the council is being honest with you. This building is not that bad. The council is looking at turning this into storage unit."

Campaigners plan to hold another meeting in a week's time before presenting a petition to the council.