WELLAND Parish Council has resisted calls for an independent investigation into the Spittlefields Playing Field project and reiterated its determination to rectify any problems surrounding it.

Following an update by Bill Carver, chairman of the Welland Playing Field Committee, at Wednesday night's council meeting, two members of the public called for an investigation.

Villager Roy Locke questioned why Mr Carver had failed to pursue the district auditor about the matter. Mr Carver said he thought there was no extreme urgency as he had "not come across any wrong doing" and questioned the cost.

"If you call in the district auditor there will be an enormous bill that will eat into the money the parish council has to put right the field," he said.

Parish council chairman Roger Cousins added that the body had made the decision to rectify the field and suggested any members of the public unhappy with that form their own group for any other sort of action.

While former parish councillor Strang Short said that the contractors should be brought in to rectify the project, another villager, Kevin Hammett also called for an investigation.

He said: "I'm not criticising anyone but I'm fed up with all the bickering here. Now's the time to bring in somebody independent to look at it."

Villager Val Eagle also lamented the long-running saga. She said: "The bottom line is one guy with a wheelbarrow could have done this job so what's gone wrong?"

The parish council meets with the Environment Agency on November 9 and should then be able to submit a retrospective application to Malvern Hills District Council.

At the meeting former parish councillor Oscar Morris made it clear that he had not resigned because of Spittlefields but because of council "infighting".