SOUTHEND Lawn Tenn-is Club has been sold to a mystery individual.

The club, in Broadclyst Gardens, Thorpe Bay, was sold for £275,000 at auction by Savills.

The estate agent said it could not reveal the buyer's identity, but would only say the man was "a private individual".

Members of the tennis club and local residents fear that if the 1.4-acre site is bought by a developer, it could be turned into housing.

Member Dave Lincoln said: "One of our members was at the sale and all we know is that it was a guy with a mobile phone who bought it. We are having a meeting about it to talk about our plans for the remainder of the lease.

"We are concerned not so much for us, but for our children. It's a thriving club and if you take the club away, you take away the children's future."

Previous owner Ray-mond Dickens recently defended his decision to sell the site, after criticism by the club and local residents. He said the tennis club, which has about 100 members, would stay for the remainder of the lease - which runs until 2022 - which has an option to be extended.

Mr Dickens said: "There's no way, unless the club decided to pack it in, that there will be anything but a tennis club there while the lease is in place.

"I wouldn't be selling it if it wasn't for income tax putting pressure on me as an individual.

"It's certainly not with any malice. I'm not trying to sell it to someone so they can build on it. Whoever buys it will probably have the same idea as I did, and likes the idea of buying a tennis club to get some enjoyment out of it."

Mr Dickens paid £187,500 for the site in 2005, outbidding developers, saying at the time he wanted to preserve the land for his grandchildren and other local youngsters.

But he said he had never promised to keep it permanently.

Mr Dickens declined to comment on the sale or the buyer when contacted by the Echo yesterday.

  • Are you the mystery buyer? Call John Geoghegan on 01702 321144 or e-mail john.geoghegan@nqe.com