NIGHTCLUB bosses say that the presence of building contractors on neighbouring land has fuelled false rumours that the venue has closed.

The Orchard Nightclub, in Amersham Road, Hazlemere, has been serving customers for 18 years but has recently taken out advertisements in the Free Press sister paper Midweek to refute rumours it has closed. Colin Liggins, the club's house and facilities manager, said: "For months and months we have had all these rumours going around that we are closing. We are so fed up with it we decided to put an ad in the paper to say it is not true.

"I think it is a local problem. Where our car park is the cable company were given permission to let contractors park there and they filled the place up. It looked like a building site which didn't help.

"They destroyed the drive and some person started these rumours off. People think we must be re-developing or closing down. Someone has got their wires crossed."

Representatives from the nightspot were due to meet contractors Kennedy who had worked for Cable and Wireless during their cable laying works in Hazlemere for destroying the club driveway and making a mess. A Kennedy spokesman said: "Kennedy apologises for any inconvenience caused by the work due for completion by the end of May and endeavours to ensure that any future disruption is kept to a minimum."