After five years of bitter recriminations, including a police investigation and an attempted 'palace revolution' by bowling green members, top judges have pleaded for an end to a dispute that has torn apart a Yorkshire working men's club.

The cash-strapped Blakeborough Social & Sports Club has been riven by warring factions within its 600-strong membership ever since it announced plans to sell its Brighouse bowling green in 2008.

Bowling member, Rupert Speechley, known as Andy, has been at the forefront of a campaign to keep the green and a flow of accusations and counter-accusations at one point became so fierce that police became involved.

Enormously costly legal in-fighting between the rival factions today culminated in an Appeal Court ruling that the club's President, Treasurer and Committee were not validly elected at an annual general meeting (AGM) held in July 2011.

Three of the country's most senior judges accepted Mr Speechley's arguments that procedures followed at the AGM were fatally flawed as the officials were purportedly elected by a show of hands, rather than a secret ballot as required by the club's rules.

However, Lord Justice Lewison described that decision as 'of academic interest only' - as a fresh AGM was held in March last year, and Mr Speechley had made no challenge to that.

Mr Speechley also convinced the court that he and four others had been 'unlawfully expelled' from the club and that they remained members and entitled to express their views and participate in planning its future.

However, in a crushing financial blow for Mr Speechley, the Court ordered him to pay 90% of the heavy legal costs of the case.

The appeal judge, sitting with Lords Justice Sullivan and McFarlane, said a further AGM is planned for March or April this year.

And, in a plea for an outbreak of peace, he added: "I should stress that it will be of the utmost importance that the forthcoming AGM is conducted strictly in accordance with the rules and that the paper trail is scrupulously kept, otherwise this unhappy saga will nave no end".

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