A youth worker has defended the bullying allegations which sparked the suspension of a Worcester community centre's management committee.

Earlier this month, the eight voluntary members of Warndon Community Centre's 11-strong management committee were suspended after accusations by youth worker Julie Sadler.

It came after the other three committee members - Warndon city councillors Jo Hodges and Pam Clayton and Warndon county councillor John Buckley - resigned from the board and handed the running of the centre back to the council, saying it was in the best interests of the community.

Now 36-year-old Ms Sadler claims she was made to feel unwelcome by certain staff members when she was brought in to help.

She was working at the city's Tolladine community centre for two years and was drafted in to Warndon when one of their workers was sent to Tolladine.

This was because Tolladine needed a higher-qualified supervisor to deal with young children.

However, Ms Sadler alleges she was reduced to tears by members of the management committee who insulted her once as she was greeting visitors to the centre, and made a complaint to the council.

She said: "I felt absolutely gutted and that I couldn't be working in that kind of situation with children there.

"I just want to get out to people now that I'm here to do my job and I want to be here to help the community."

The council has since strenuously denied the centre is under any threat and has installed city council community worker Alan Poyner as temporary manager, drafting in other staff to help.

It has been business as usual, with clubs such as the Busy Bees playgroup still running.

Meanwhile, former management committee chairman Deana Cook and former vice-chairman Tony, her husband, have firmly denied the bullying allegations.

A petition has since been circulating around the community defending the Cooks.

The issue was raised at a full meeting of the city council on Tuesday. Speaking afterwards, the council's head of community services Alan Stuttard said it was committed to making the centre better than ever.