Hundreds of gymnasts have been left 'sad, disappointed and angry' after councillors backed plans to throw a popular gymnastics club out of its new home.

Cherwell Gymnastics Club serves hundreds of youngsters in the city and recently won permission to move to a location in Ashville Way in Blackbird Leys.

However, despite moving in several weeks ago and spending thousands of pounds on the site, the decision was challenged and last night permission was withdrawn.

The club's chairwoman Hazel Walsh said: "We are very sad and disappointed and actually quite angry.

"We have three months to move out and we are never going to find anywhere in that time - it took us five years to find this.

"And there's the financial loss of having to set up somewhere else - it will difficult to do that."

During the meeting she had said facility was proving "perfect" for the 230 youngsters who are members and outlined plans to expand.

But councillors apologised to young gymnasts present at the meeting before delivering the devastating news and for having to make the U-turn.

The reason given was the change in use meant the loss of commercial space, meaning it deviated from the Local Plan which designates how land should be used.

When permission was initially granted in August, councillors had defied advice from planning officers but at last night's East Area Planning Committee they had little choice but to tow the line.

Mayfield Press - the firm occupying neighbouring units - said it wanted to move in to the unit and that more than 80 jobs could be lost if it couldn't.

Cherwell Gymnastics Club appealed to Oxford Mail readers for help to either store equipment or find a new home.