A THIRTY-YEAR-OLD club in Bridport on the verge of collapse has been offered a lifeline.

The Bridport Model Railway Club was told it had to get out of its home on the third floor of Bridport's Unitarian Church hall in March but has not been able to find an alternative.

But following last week's story in the Bridport News the club has been offered a possibility by Bothenhampton's working men's club.

Club secretary Ian Keith said: "As a result of the story in your paper the Bothenhampton Working Men's Club offered us a home on Saturday. They have a billiards room but the second floor has been empty for years."

Now the two clubs are in negotiation and should know the outcome by early February.

Mr Keith said they were beginning to sell off some of their models and a small one was sold last week ahead of the annual exhibition in Beaminster.

Mr Keith said the also wanted to sell a large 16ft by 3ft N' gauge model.

He said: "I made the small one on an ironing board to show people what could be done in a small space but we still have the N' gauge model for about £150.

"If we do find anywhere we want to start again anyway."

The club staged what it thought might be its last annual exhibition in Beaminster on Saturday.

Mr Keith added: "The exhibition went very well and lots of people came and we made quite a lot of money which will go to helping with the move."