Members lose £300 each as gym closes

Woodlaithes Health and Fitness Studio, owned by Luke Walker, who already runs another gym in Bawtry, was shut down and equipment moved out under cover of darkness.

But Mr Walker, who accepted that equipment was shifted late at night and put into storage to help pay off debts, says that his bank gave him no option but to shut its doors and claims that he personally lost £40,000 on start-up costs.

One furious member, who does not wish to be named, said: "It was open for a grand total of three weeks before it closed, leaving myself and others 299 out of pocket.

"I have spoken to Mr Walker and he told me there would be no refund.

"What type of person opens a gym then closes it after three weeks?"

He said that he took up the two years membership offer and had visited the gym four or five times before he received a shock letter informing him of its closure last Friday.

He went on: "I went straight down to the gym after I received the letter and found that it was completely deserted. There wasnt even any equipment in there.

"I went to the Chinese restaurant nearby and the people there told me that it had been cleared out at around 10pm on  the Thursday night, under cover of darkness.

"I contacted the gym operators and they refused point blank to offer me a refund but said that I could have three years membership at their gym in Bawtry for the 299 I had already paid.

"Theres no point me taking them up on that offer. The reason I joined the Woodlaithes gym was because it was within walking distance from my houseBawtrys a 35-mile round trip.

"Apart from that I dont want to be with this gym. Its already closed once within a few weeks of me being a member. Any deal I have with them clearly isnt worth the paper it is written on."

Luke Walker said that he moved the equipment rather than have it sold off at auction by a finance company for a knockdown price.

He went on: "All our projections and plans were based on a minimum of 50 annual members joining before opening.

"When we opened three weeks ago we had 17.

"Regardless of the reasons for this I had to plan for October to December.

"The bank would not lend me any more money but I thought if we sold one membership a day from opening onwards, then we could get to January.

"We sold another four across the next 19 days and the bank, accountant and solicitors all advised me to get out now.

"Obviously Im gutted and walk away with approximately 40,000 debts from start-up costs and equipment.

"Ultimately the bank closed us because we informed them on Tuesday last week that we would be unable to pay them at the end of the week.

"The account has been frozen and the unpaid 20,000 bank loan transferred to myself.

"I owe 18,990 to a finance company with regards to the equipment. I am currently trying to sell the lease and/or equipment.

"In a perfect world I will find a buyer and clear my settlement figure. Any additional money I will split up between the 21 members."