A battle has broken out at a social club where the ruling committee has been accused of bigotry.

Women at Sunnybank Social Club in Silsden are fighting for the right to vote on club issues - but are meeting stubborn resistance from the club's leaders.

The women say that the committee is breaking its own rules and that their right to vote is enshrined in the club's rule book.

The 100 women members are allowed social membership status only. It means they cannot sit on the committee, vote on the club's future and hold shares.

But its rule book says that women should be allowed to do everything that men can.

Long-time member Mike Sutton, 60, has now taken up the cudgel on their behalf and is demanding the club sticks to the rules.

But the all-male committee has tried to out-flank him by calling a meeting on Monday to change the rule book.

Mike, whose father was a club member, said: "It's all very petty - it's all about them not wanting the women to play on the snooker table. They don't want women on the committee so that women will not be able to use the table - how petty can you get.

"The rule book says men and women should be treated equally. They are breaking their own rules. I will tell them on Monday they are out of order and I might move a motion of no confidence in them."

Mr Sutton, of Swartha, whose wife Kathleen, 59, is a member, said he brought up the issue at the annual meeting and the committee agreed to discuss it.

He added: "It's a load of bigotry. When I looked through the rule book I couldn't find anything that says women can't be full members."

And Kathleen said: "We're equal to men and want to have the rights in the club."

Committee member, Bernard Clarke, said he resigned saying: "I can't be a member of a discriminatory committee."

It is understood Monday's meeting has been called to cancel rule 33b, which says "in these rules, words importing the masculine gender shall include the feminine".

Club secretary Rick Watson said: "We have about 100 members who are women and they are allowed into the club."

Malcolm Ridley, treasurer of Idle Working Men's Club, said he believed it was time Sunnybank moved into the 21st Century.

Men at Idle WMC gave women the right to be full members in 1995 after a long battle of the sexes. Mr Ridley said: "Letting women in has been one of the best things that has ever happened to this club. Our advice is to let women in and stop being so pig-headed."

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

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