The City of York Council leader has warned York Wasps not to come begging again after writing off the club's £46,000 unpaid rent bill.

Speaking at his public meeting with chief officer David Atkinson, Coun Rod Hills said he believed the club would face another financial crisis "sooner rather than later", but that the council would not help bail them out again if and when that happened.

However, Wasps' chief executive Ann Garvey hit back today, saying she was "disappointed with his remarks" and adding that they did not intend to ask for more aid.

Coun Hills had told officers "there was no alternative" but to write off the Wasps' debt to the council, meaning the bill would be paid by York residents.

As has been reported, the City of York Council when created took over £26,000 of debt from Ryedale District Council for the Wasps' use of council property, namely Huntington Stadium. That debt stood at £46,545 when the council agreed to write it off earlier this month as part of the club's creditors' voluntary agreement, which saved the Wasps from extinction.

Coun Hills - having been told by head of York leisure services Charlie Croft that City of York Council "inherited a position whereby the club had never paid rent at all" - criticised the district council for the way it had handled the rent arrears. He also said money from rugby league nationally would help the club with property debts.

But he added: "I don't believe that the takings the Wasps get through the turnstile are going to be enough to cover all the other expenses. I suspect we are going to have a financial crisis sooner rather than later.

"I don't see how the club is going to continue. I don't think it is going to be able to pay the players and the rent and when that happens it will come begging to us."

However, Garvey said: "I'm very disappointed these remarks have been made. As regards to the club surviving, that will depend on sponsorship and gates, as I've said many times before.

"The expenses going out are at a minimum now and it's been well publicised that the players are taking half the gate receipts as wages, so we're not spending more there than we get in.

"I would have hoped the council would have wanted the club to survive. It is not and never has been our intention to ask the council to help again."

Updated: 11:34 Wednesday, January 31, 2001