THE firm running a community hall has come under fire following claims it has fallen into serious decline.

Sovereign Leisure took over Hadleigh Hall, in John Burrows Recreation Ground, off Rectory Road, from Castle Point Council in 2005, but users say there has been a serious drop in standards in the past two years.

Groups and clubs using the building have described the facilities as “grubby”, particularly the toilets.

There was no hot water or central heating at the hall during the winter and users were provided with plug-in heaters instead.

The outside of the hall has suffered from vandalism, including smashed windows, as well as graffiti and broken glass near the entrance.

The Hadleigh Evening Women’s Institute decided to quit the hall last November after more than 30 years there.

Club secretary Nikki Saunders said: “Having no heating or hot water just wasn’t adequate in the winter, especially when you’ve got to wash up more than 100 cups.

“There’s no lighting outside the front of the hall and one of our ladies was a bit bruised and grazed after falling over.

“Fortunately, she wasn’t one of our very old ladies.”

Kathy Neville, secretary of Thames Estuary Lace Makers, said her group left the hall a year ago. She said: “It was generally grubby. They’d let it go a bit.

“We would rent the hall on a Monday morning and it was clear it hadn’t been cleaned up properly after the weekend.

“The toilets were also a bit of a state and our members didn’t like to use them.”

Sovereign Leisure Services, based in Thurrock, took over the hall from the council in November 2005 on a 99-year lease.

Sovereign Leisure’s David Freeman said he had problems paying the gas bills, but the hot water was now back on.

He added: “I’ve had some problems with my business partner Barry Gardener, who has been off sick for a while. I feel let down by these groups. We have bent over backwards for them and nothing is good enough.

“To be honest, it was in just as poor condition when I took it over from the council.”