A BINGO hall in Bradford is closing down this weekend, it has been confirmed, and another has downsized.

The future of the Mecca bingo hall in Little Horton Lane had been in doubt as bosses reviewed the club’s future.

Members were told by letter about the “proposed closure” of the club and were given a final date of this Sunday. A spokesman has told the Telegraph & Argus that a decision has now been made, affecting 21 members of staff at the bingo hall.

She said: “A decision has now been taken to close the club. We have not taken this decision lightly but attendance has been falling for some time and sadly the club is no longer commercially viable. The club will close on Sunday Nov 27.”

The reason given for closing the bingo hall is that it has been struggling for some time and has been making a significant loss which was no longer sustainable.

Members will face travelling to Halifax to continue as a Mecca member, or can make use of the two Gala bingo halls in Bradford.

But it has now emerged that the Gala site in Tong has been reduced in size due to “excess space”. A new tenant is expected to take over part of the building early next year.

As part of the changes, the club recently underwent a £450,000 investment which saw an extended arcade area and a refurbished main hall.

Planning permission has been granted for alterations to the outside of the building which will allow for a new entrance to the I-Motion gym, according to the planning documents.

Pat Parkinson, 58, of Queensbury, who has been a member of the Mecca bingo hall for the past 25 years, said she would be going to play one last game of bingo there on Sunday, when there would be a special event to mark its closure. She said: “Bingo is not as popular as it used to be, because of online bingo. Clubs are finding they are not able to fill the seats. “When I first started going to Mecca there used to be announcements asking people to move their coats off the chairs so others could sit down on their table as it was so busy. Now when we go, we tend to get a table to ourselves. It’s also died off a lot since the smoking ban.”

She added that while it was a shame it was closing, she would probably go to the Mecca in Halifax. But many elderly people would not be able to travel, so it was a particular a loss to them.

Mecca leases part of the building, called The Wardley Centre, which houses both the bingo hall and the city’s long-standing ice rink.

In turn the ice rink, known as Bradford Ice Arena, is then sublet to its current operator. The rink is unaffected by the closure of the bingo hall.

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