FORMER Devizes gym club owner Bill Montgomery, who closed the facility eight months ago, has finally refunded £330 in membership fees thanks to intervention from the Gazette.

Mr Montgomery said he was sorry it had taken him so long to return outstanding fees to Ken Morrison and his wife, Pat, both 57, from Easterton, who were members of Billy's Gym and Tonic, which closed suddenly in February.

The couple joined the gym, which was above the One Stop shop in Devizes Market Place, in April 2003 for a two year period and paid in advance.

Mr Montgomery had intended to relocate the gym to another venue in Devizes but decided against this. Instead he opened a health suite in Bath employing five people.

Mr Morrison contacted the Gazette out of frustration after sending several letters, e-mails and making telephone calls to Mr Montgomery.

The couple were each owed £165 and after waiting since February, Mr Morrison said he thought he would have to take Mr Montgomery to the small claims court to recover their money.

Mr Morrison, who runs an antique clock restoration business and is a former Royal Navy captain, told the Gazette: "My wife and I are angry and impatient. We have not made any progress. Mr Montgomery has prevaricated. He has never returned my phone calls. He told us we would receive our money on August 6 and that didn't happen."

After being informed by two telephone answerphone messages and an e-mail that the Gazette was planning to run a story about Mr Morrison's proposed legal action against him, Mr Montgomery paid the refunds.

Mr Morrison said: "A lady knocked on my door and gave us a cheque for £330. She said it was from Bill Montgomery. I am so grateful to the Gazette and delighted that the matter is now closed."

Mr Montgomery said he had already refunded more than 400 members of the gym and promised to refund those who were still owed money.

He said: "When the gym shut at short notice we were severely hampered because we did not have access to our membership records for some weeks.

"I am sorry it took so long to get back to Mr Morrison. Unfortunately he was very low down on the list of members we had to refund. I would like to apologise to members and thank them for their patience.

"I have not done a runner, I'm not dishonourable.

He admitted there are a few remaining members who had not yet received membership refunds.

But he said: "I will refund those few people who remain."

Mr Montgomery's gym had been open for more than two years. He said he was disappointed at the closure but the lease had run out and the owners did not want to renew it.

Mr Montgomery, who lives in Devizes, said: "After Devizes Football Club turned my bid down to relocate the gym there I looked at other possible sites in the town.

"I couldn't find anything suitable and the rents were a bit fierce.

"I had spent a lot of money on setting up the gym and I became disheartened so I have decided not to open another one in Devizes. It's a shame because my gym had built up a good clientele."

Mr Montgomery said his decision not to relocate was also taken because of the impending expansion of Devizes Leisure Centre.

He said another reason was that there is already planning permission for a gym at Coral Cove on the Hopton Industrial Estate.

Steve Brooks, owner of Coral Cove, was granted planning permission by Kennet District Council for a gym, fitness and soft play facility at the premises in December 2000.

But Mr Brooks told the Gazette last week he had no immediate plans to open a gym at Coral Cove.