HALTON Borough Council say Runcorn Football Club has not settled its outstanding debt for use of the stadium and the authority is therefore left with 'no alternative' but to look for a new tenant for 2005-06 and beyond.

A council spokesperson told the Weekly News: 'The club was invited by the council to propose a solution to meet its outstanding debt to the council and its current financial situation - to date the club has presented no sensible proposals to the council.

'Consequently, the council has terminated the club's long-term agreement to use Halton Stadium.

'The council is prepared to make Halton Stadium available to the club until the end of the current season on a payas-you-play basis. This will enable the club to satisfy its fixtures this season.'

Linnets chairman Dave Robertson said: 'The council is perfectly entitled to look for people who will make the maximum contribution to the use of the stadium.'

The Linnets Independent Supporters Trust is urging Dr Robertson to decide the way ahead. Trust spokesman Martin Fallon says Witton Albion can host Runcorn in the immediate future and Pavilions are happy to provide the club with a future point of return.

Fallon says as a non-profit making group the Trust could lease Pavilions and apply for funding to upgrade facilities so the Linnets can play there.

The organisation intends to contact English Partnerships to see if the money, said to be £300,000 they clawed back from the club when it sold Canal Street, is still available to reinvest in a community facility for Runcorn.

Dr Robertson added: 'When we were looking at selling Canal Street to a supermarket, we looked at the possibility of developing something in Runcorn and (developers) Morbaine did feasibility studies of two sites, Pavilions and Halton Sports.

'But if any of them are going to become potential venues as a longer-term solution, there needs to be a testing of planning permission.'