THE TRUSTEES of a sports and social club are furious that its water supply was suddenly cut off after being landed with a bill for £3,500 because Severn Trent had undercharged them for five years.

The Magpies Club - which is attached to Gloucestershire Northern Senior League football club Stonehouse Freeway - received no notice that the supply was going to be stopped, and was forced to turn away customers and cancel social events.

The whopping bill was accrued because five years previously a Severn Trent representative had placed it in the wrong band after measuring it incorrectly.

When the water company realised its mistake, it demanded the balance was repaid immediately - a huge burden for the club, which almost went bankrupt four years ago and has only recovered through careful financial management.

Club chair Alan Harnden said everyone was angry about the 'huge and unreasonable request'.

"We are obviously annoyed and frustrated at the way the water board has acted," he said.

"If we had been serving beer at the wrong price for five years we would not have a leg to stand on if we demanded the customer then pay the money back.

"We had lots of unhappy customers including our resident skittle team, which we had to turn away on Monday night because the club had to stay closed without a water supply.

"Surely there has to be a service of notice and a reasonable time before the action of cutting a supply is taken. This would have at least allowed us to forewarn our customers or pay the bill."

Trustees tried to negotiate with the water company, which agreed to remeasure the facility.

But on Monday, October 23 Severn Trent staff turned up at the club and cut off its supply, leaving a letter saying it would not be reconnected until the £3,500 bill was repaid.

The matter has now been reported to OFWAT, the Government-run water board regulator.

No-one at Severn Trent was available for comment yesterday as the SNJ went to press.