RESIDENTS from Broom have been given a £50,000 bonanza from Stratford District Council to build a new village hall.

Members of the hall committee were delighted with the donation, which was announced at a meeting in the village on Monday.

The money had originally been earmarked for Bidford's Crawford Memorial Hall and was part of a £250,000 grant but Bidford Parish Council chairwoman Joy Keeley told the parish council £50,000 was left over after plans for a cyber caf in the hall were scrapped.

Hall committee member Cheryl Hendey said: "We're really pleased with the amount the district council has donated to help modernise our hall. I'd just like to thank Warwickshire County Council, Stratford District Council and Bidford Parish Council along with all the other organisations who have helped with this project.

"Thanks to this donation we can now see light at the end of the tunnel."

Broom villagers applied for a lottery grant earlier this year and received £100,000 to help modernise and refurbish the building - handed to them by the Women's Institute in April.

Members of the committee decided the dated 1938 timber hall needed updating with more facilities for the public.

It is now planned to build a new hall with twin function rooms and kitchen with full disabled access.

The village hall committee has received donations from Dunnington Baptist Church, Bidford Parish Council, Cemex, Stratford District Council and the Country Pie fund from the Heart of England charity.