A POOL club has been left snookered after a neighbouring social club demanded they leave the premises over 'fighting and threatening behaviour'.

Q Zone in Cowley has been asked to move out by July 1 after receiving notice from solicitors working on behalf of the Cowley Workers Social Club.

Local karate club Rising Spirit are believed to have reached an agreement between Oxford City Council, which owns the building, and Cowley Workers who hold the lease, and will move in next month.

The snooker club's owner Julian Wood said it was 'devastating' for the area's pool players and youngsters and said there had been no trouble over the past year.

But Cowley Workers general secretary Rachel Cox said the 'bottom line' was the pool club had no lease agreement and that karate club Rising Spirit could move in later this year.

A letter seen by the Oxford Mail revealed the Cowley Workers Social Club had cited an issue with 'fighting and threatening behaviour' in demanding Q Zone vacate the premises by July 1.

The club's owner Julian Wood said: "I'm not even aware of the specific incident and if it did happen that's one incident in the past year.

"Hundreds of youngsters use our club and it is also used for the local leagues - I just don't know what we are going to do, there is nowhere else for us to go."

Mr Wood said there has been some trouble when they first moved in over a year ago, but issues with the traveller community from Redbridge had been completely resolved and the past year had seen no incidents.

City councillor David Henwood said: "There are a number of talented pool players, teenagers from St Gregory the Great School, who use the club and I'm really disappointed for them.

"It's great for the area - they have been representing the county and the country on the international stage and they will lose their club.

"It's really unfortunate that a lease couldn't be agreed for Q Zone in the year or so they have been in the premises and I am working with both parties to get a longer period of grace for the club to work out its future."

Mr Henwood brokered a deal between the social club and the pool club last summer when Q-Zone were first asked to leave and said anti-social behaviour issues had been cleared up since then.