FED up with feeling she was being fleeced and fobbed off by dating agencies, Barnoldswick's Sheelagh Fleming decided it was time to take matters into her own hands.

As a single woman for the past two years, she felt sidelined in a society that still views older single people with a degree of caution, even suspicion.

All she wanted to do was to meet other people in similar situations, to socialise, enjoy each other's company and, if the circumstances were right, maybe to find romance.

But what she found was that there are companies all too ready to profit from that need, to charge large fees for "matchmaking" that was often done without any real consideration for the people involved.

Sheelagh decided there had to be a better way - and now she seems to have found it.

She reasoned that if she was feeling isolated by society, sidelined by married friends and let down by dating agencies, there must be other single people out there feeling the same.

All she had to do was find them, and so she started placing small advertisements in local papers either side of the Yorkshire-Lancashire border.

The adverts appealed for single people who wanted to meet other singles to make new friends and enjoy socialising and a range of activities.

"I decided to do something about it, first to help myself and to help others too," said Sheelagh.

"Right from the start I had a good response. So far I've had around 60 replies and I've been amazed how many people are in the same situation as me.

"A lot of people have had bad experiences with dating agencies, either asking for a lot of money or fixing up unsuitable dates, and they were looking for another way."

Sheelagh is also a qualified counsellor and, through talking to people who responded to the advert, recognised some of her own experiences.

"I've had experiences that would make your hair curl," she laughed, "but I've always tried to keep a positive outlook."

Now a fast-growing group of single friends meet each Sunday evening from 8pm at the Old Stone Trough country inn, on the A56 just outside Kelbrook, all because of Sheelagh's adverts.

"I've never met such a wonderful group of intelligent, enthusiastic, positive people," she said.

""Most of us have been through similar experiences and it's just so good to meet new friends who don't treat you differently because you're single.

"I've had people ringing from as far afield as Rishton, over in Lancashire, and Keighley in Yorkshire."

All Sheelagh asks of members is a nominal contribution of at least £1 to help pay for the advertising, phone calls and other running costs.

"I don't want to fleece people, I just want to do it as a service to single people," she said.

She wants the group to be self-governing, its members deciding what kind of social activities they want to take part in.

Ideas so far have included eating out, trips to the theatre or cinema, swimming and even the possibility of group holidays in the future.

Any single people keen to join the group should ring Sheelagh first for a chat on 01282 817710. If she's out, leave a message and she'll get back to you.