KIDDERMINSTER Harriers players and back room staff at the cash-strapped football club are now being paid, fans have been told.

The wage bill is being met by supporters Ernie and Kath Lane, who have guaranteed to fund the playing budget until the end of the season, says chairman Ken Rae.

Players last week refused to talk to the Press because of non-payment.

Mr Rae told the club's annual meeting that the board was trying to attract new directors. The present board contribute £10,000 each.

The directors' report and financial statement for the year ended May 31, 2014, which showed a loss of £263,601, was accepted without comment.

The annual meeting was over in seven minutes but Mr Rae took part in a question-and-answer session for more than an hour.

He was questioned about the Harriers' profit from their FA Cup run which ended at Sunderland. He said that policing costs of £40,000 and stewarding of £30,000 had reduced the Harriers' return to a disappointing £60,000.

Mr Rae was unable to reveal the financial details of the transfers of Chey Dunkley (Oxford United), Nathan Blissett (Bristol Rovers) and Marvin Johnson (Motherwell) because of confidentiality clauses.

Numbers at the annual meeting were limited because it was wrongly stated on the club's website that shareholders had to produce certificates to gain entry. It was a generally good-natured meeting and at one stage there was a round of applause for manager Gary Whild for maintaining the play-offs bid despite losing major players.

Mr Rae said it was hoped to sign a new ground-share agreement with Worcester City and improvements were planned for the pitch. Stewarding cost £2,000 a game if all the stands were open. He estimated that it cost £1.6m a year to run the club. "We are not going bust next week," he said.