DELIGHTED Sheila Cooper is the first woman to be voted on to the committee of Huntington Working Men's Club.

It is another major step forward for the club, which only recently overturned an 80-year-old rule banning women from the games room.

Secretary Mike Willis said Sheila notched up more votes than any other candidate in the committee elections.

"It's something we've been wanting to see for years," he said. We've got a very strong ladies' section at the club and I think a lot more of them will want to be on the committee now."

Updated: 09:29 Saturday, February 14, 2004