FEARS have been expressed that the loss of a full-time bar at a community centre could sound the death knell for clubs using the premises.

Totton and Eling Town Council has decided that the bar at Calmore Community Association should open only on special occasions.

The move has sparked fears that the association will lose a significant number of members.

Bob Lester, chairman of the association's indoor bowls club, said the decision could cost the centre vital income and should be reversed.

Mr Lester fears his own club could also be hit by the loss of a full-time bar. He said: "Some players say they won't go bowling any more if the bar shuts, and I can quite see the club wrapping up."

Community association chairman Des Rebbeck said the association had around 260 members, with around 50 of them using the bar regularly.

Mr Rebbeck warned the centre was "entering the unknown" following the decision to shut the facility, which he described as a focal point.

He added: "I think we will lose members, but hopefully, the organisation is strong enough to survive.

"A community association shouldn't stand or fall on whether it has a bar." The decision to replace the existing bar with a functions-only facility was defended by Dave Russell, chairman of the town council's amenities committee.

He said: "It will assist the association in focusing on community works, and will also make the centre more attractive to people who want to hire rooms.

"There's no bar at Totton and Eling Bowls Club, and for 12 years there was no bar at West Totton Community Centre, but both facilities are thriving."

The vote to close the Calmore bar was taken behind closed doors at the December meeting of the town council. Councillors said the decision would be reviewed at the end of the next financial year.