Mayor councillor Barbara Harrison suspended proceedings after cries of "No consultation!" rang from the public gallery at Ilkeston Town Hall on May 8, as Tory councillors were accused of being "puppets on a string" for towing the party line in closing the Albion Leisure Centre.

The meeting was halted for around ten minutes while tempers cooled and the Mayor reminded the public they were not legally entitled to take part in the debates.

But anger spilled over into the public questions when eight local people grilled councillors and found that no new answers were forthcoming.

Liza Stevenson asked how the council could justify saying that a better profit has been made at the Rutland Sports Park when the Albion Centre was systematically run down.

After the meeting she said: "We haven't got a voice. Public amenities should not be given away. I have asked councillors to meet with the community forum chairs for a civil meeting - but I have had no reponse.

"We can't afford to let a central building like the Albion Centre go."

Wendy Prati asked in what ways the council planned to work with residents to discuss future ways of funding and running the Albion Centre.

Afterwards she said: "I am just disgusted. They didn't even answer the questions."

Stan Fulwood asked the council how they would review their plans in the light of the 5,000 objections raised against the closure.

Cllr Mike Wallis, lead member for Culture and Leisure services, said: "There is no getting away from the fact that the closure of the Albion Centre was one of the most difficult decisions the council has had to make. But the council will not reconsider this decision."

Remarks made by cllr David Stevenson in a letter to the 'Tizer about the political motivation of questions asked at last month's meeting added fuel to the fire.

Rick Bates said: "Being an uneducated puppet according to cllr Stephenson - can I be sure that he has written his own questions?"

Lucy Haywood told the 'Tizer that people were returning to the Albion Centre because they were sick of waiting for equipment to be free at the Rutland Sports Park.

She said: "What's it going to be like at the Rutland when the Albion shuts?"

Shadow leisure spokesman Louis Booth said that the Labour group would be pushing for a stay of execution for the centre.

He said: "Three years ago the council were told the cheapest option would be a £1.7 million refurbishment of both the Albion and Victoria Park Leisure Centre. A refurbishment of the heating system at the Albion was started but all of a sudden they pulled the plug.

"If they had carried out the recommendations they wouldn't find themselves in this position. It's going to cost them more in the long run.

"Erewash is the poor relation. People are begining to realise that if they want quality lesiure services they will have to go out of the borough."