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, house and facilities manager at the club, 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."

Representatives from the nightspot were due to meet contractors Kennedy who had worked for Cable and Wireless during their cable-laying works in Hazlemere.

Mr Liggins claimed the company had destroyed the driveway. "It has made people reluctant to drive up the driveway," he said.

A spokesman for contractor Kennedy said: "Kennedy apologise for any inconvenience caused by the work, which is due for completion by the end of May, and will endeavour to ensure that any future disruption is kept to a minimum."