FURIOUS residents of Warndon, Worcester, have rallied in support of a couple suspended from running a community centre amid bullying allegations.

Many of the shops in Warndon's Cranham Drive have set up petitions defending Tony and Deana Cook which have already been signed by more than 100 people.

On Saturday, the Worcester News broke the story that the couple were among eight voluntary members of Warndon Community Centre's management committee suspended on Friday.

It came after the other three members - Warndon city councillors Jo Hodges and Pam Clayton and Warndon county councillor John Buckley - legal representatives for the city council - resigned from the board. they surrendered the management of the Shap Drive centre to the council.

But elderly and young people alike were out in support of the Mr and Mrs Cook - committee vice-chairman and chairman respectively - and the other committee members expressed their disbelief at what had happened.

Stacey Gillett, of Cranham Drive, said her three children Charlie, aged eight, Cody, three and Cayden, two regularly use the centre.

She added: "It's disgusting they have been suspended. You'll never get anyone like Deana again as she treats the kids like her own."

Mrs Cook, aged 64, has run the centre since it opened 18 years ago, battling lung and breast cancer to keep the activities going with her husband and volunteers.

Russell Heath, of Cleve Drive, Warndon, has sent his twin sons Lee and Steven, aged 15, to the centre since they were six.

He said: "It's disgraceful what's happened and I'm fully behind Tony and Deana."

The suspended members are expected to call a public meeting shortly to decide further action and demand the councillors explain their reasons for resigning.

Mrs Cook, who denies the bullying allegations made by a city youth worker, repeated her calls for the councillors involved to resign as she said they had failed the community.

She added: "I'm just fighting for these kids and elderly folk who used the centre and what's right for them."

The council's head of community services, Alan Stuttard, said the centre was not under threat and activities would continue as normal, with staff drafted in to help.

Coun Hodges said they had decided it was in the best interests for the council to take over the running of the centre.