SPECULATION that the council could be prepared to consider cash offers for Halton Stadium have been quashed by Cllr Tony McDermott.

Following reports that Halton Borough Council was to make cuts to claw back up to £4m in savings to save essential services, rumours are circulating that council chiefs would be in the market to sell its biggest asset, Halton Stadium.

A source told the Weekly News an organisation had already 'touched base' with the council over prospective plans to buy Halton Stadium from it.

However, Cllr McDermott claims that he is unaware of any approach.

He said: 'If somebody has made enquiries about purchasing the stadium then I have certainly not heard anything about them.

'And to set the record straight, Halton Borough Council is not in the market for selling it.'

Last year Cllr McDermott hinted that he would be open to 'new ideas' from outside sources to make the stadium a more viable asset.

At the time he did not rule out that the stadium could accommodate sporting and music events in the future.

He said: 'The stadium is an excellent facility and we are very proud of what we have achieved there. We

have held a lot of things here in the past and any new ideas would be very welcome.'

The council has made no effort to disguise the stadium's under use - Widnes Vikings is the only club using the facility on a regular basis after Runcorn FC Halton decided to play their football elsewhere after it failing to meet its overheads.

Chester City chairman Stephen Vaughan recently visited the Halton ground of the Vikings, in which he has just become a shareholder, to look at its public leisure facilities, with Chester City director Paul Baker.

But the council said it had not received any formal proposals from Mr Vaughan.

Mr Vaughan wants Chester City Council to lift the restrictions and agree to allow a multi-million pound redevelopment of the Deva Stadium to include a gym, conference facilities and function rooms - facilities that the Halton Stadium has under one roof.

Alternatively, he says he wants the council to take back control of the Deva Stadium and allow the club to rent the pitch on match days only, dramatically cutting overheads.

If not, Mr Vaughan said he will 'seriously consider' moving the whole team out of Chester.