THE Globe reported last week that Wirral Council spends a vast amount on consultants, including £245,000 for 14 months' work by one individual.

Perhaps that would account for the fact that West Kirby Concourse, run by the council, pleads poverty whenever inexpensive repairs or upgrades are needed to the four tables used twice a week by the Friends in Retirement Table Tennis Club.

In recent times, new nets, castors and screens between the tables have been supplied not by the council but the club.

The tables themselves have been described as "very sub-standard" by the Wirral Table Tennis League chairman, yet the Concourse management will not even discuss the possibility of replacing them.

The table tennis club has 80 members, with around 30-to-40 at each session.

Since they pay £2.40 each to the Concourse for each session, that nets the council more than £8,000 a year – not counting parking fees.

Most table tennis club members are OAPs and council tax payers.

Not surprisingly, it is no comfort to them that Wirral Council has plenty of cash available for consultants but nothing for the people who help to pay their wages and merely wish to enjoy activity and friendship in their retirement.

Peter Surridge, Friends in Retirement Table Tennis Club, West Kirby