KIRKLEES Council has suspended grant aid to a community group beset by internal wrangles.

It has confirmed that no more money will be paid to the Sikh Leisure Centre until the issue of who runs the organisation is satsfactorily resolved.

Now the town's Sikh community is gearing itself up for important elections next month.

Thousands of people will have the chance to vote for a new management committee at the Prospect Street Leisure Centre.

The elections, on Sunday, September 21, will bring to an end a period of uncertainty following a High Court battle among community elders earlier this summer.

A council spokesman today confirmed the authority had suspended grant aid for the centre, believed to be worth more than £40,000 a year, while waiting for the club to sort out its problems.

It has effectively lacked any leadership since June.

The tenure of both the 31-strong management committee and trustees had expired at the same time following an election mix-up last year.

To get Kirklees to resume their funding, the centre's general secretary, Karnail Singh Chatha, took out an injunction against four committee members: former mayor of Kirklees Mohan Singh Sokhal, centre manager Balbir Singh Uppal, Satnam Singh Khela and former president Sohan Singh Bhullar.

Mr Chatha argued the elections set for June 8 were not being held in accordance with the constitution, drawn up in 1991.

During the High Court fight in Leeds, a further twist revealed the 1991 constitution was invalid and that the one drawn up in 1986 still stands.

The 1991 constitution restricted membership - and thus voter numbers - to 500 people.

However, under the 1986 rules the new voting procedure is open to everyone.

Mr Chatha has been fighting to widen the membership.

He claimed the four men named in the injunction were running the centre undemocratically.

"They had it under their control," he said. "It was a community building but they used it as their own private club."

But the four said numbers had to be limited for practical reasons.