BIDFORD parish councillors have agreed to lend the village bowls club £20,000 to save them having to pay a hefty VAT bill.

The club is undergoing refurbishment with a £90,000 grant from Stratford District Council, and has already received £70,000.

The remaining £20,000 is due next year, but a large chunk of this could be swallowed up by VAT when the club settles the bill for building work that has been carried out.

If the work is authorised and paid for by the parish council however, there will be no VAT.

Councillors agreed to pay the bill and be refunded by the club when it receives its grant.

The district council investment in Bidford includes another £160,000 for the Crawford Memorial Hall.

The hall has been closed for the past few months, but work is now nearing completion and the parish council has been asked to fund a cheese and wine party to mark its re-opening.

It was agreed to give up to £500 for the event which will be for invited guests before being opened to villagers to look at the revamped hall.