A social club has called a spec ial meeting to stop its women members having a say in the way it is run.

It follows a move by a group of women to demand equal rights from the all-male management committee.

Their fight to take part in decision making is being backed by a number of men at the Sunnybank Social Club, Silsden.

But the committee is hitting back with a special meeting due on Monday, aimed at ensuring women cannot become full members.

It called the meeting after discovering the club's rule book contains a clause stating women are allowed do everything their male counterparts can.

The Sunnybank Social Club, formerly the British Legion Club, has been open in Silsden since before the Second World War.

Women are allowed to be "social members" and can take part in activities at the club alongside their menfolk.

But they are barred from becoming full members, which would allow them to hold shares, join the committee and vote on the club's future. Several women approached long-time member Mick Sutton about six months ago, asking why they couldn't become full members.

He brought up the issue at the annual general meeting in November and the committee agreed to discuss the matter the following month.

Follwing that meeting committee member Bernard Clarke says he had no choice but to resign after fellow members voted against letting women join.

He says: "I can't be a member of a discriminatory committee. A lot of women asked why they couldn't be fully paid-up members."

The Keighley News understands that Monday's meeting has been called to cancel rule 33b, which says "in these rules, words importing the masculine gender shall include the feminine".

Mr Sutton has been involved in the Sunnybank club for many years and followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a member.

He says: "There are people within the committee who want it to be only a men's club.

"They want to take it back. It's a load of bigotry. They're out of order and they're going to be in trouble. It's so petty - it's unbelievable what's been said.

"When I looked through the rule book I couldn't find anything that says women can't be full members.

Mr Sutton's wife Kathleen says she is not the only woman member who wants to be a full member of the Sunnybank club. She adds: "We're equal to men and want to have the rights in the club."

Rick Watson, the club's secretary, says he couldn't tell the Keighley News anything because its reporters are not club members.

He adds: "We have about 100 members who are women and they are allowed into the club. That's all I'm prepared to say."

The special meeting will be held in the club, above the Co-op supermarket in Bridge Street, on Monday at 8.30pm.

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