The leader of a youth club which could be homeless in the New Year has written to the Archbishop of York about its plight.

The 85 Youth Club has been told to leave its base at Archbishop Holgate's School in Hull Road by the end of February because the school needs the extra space.

But Arthur Elliott said he could not see the need to move and said there was nowhere for the club to go after 18 years at the school.

The Archbishop is chairman of the governors at the school.

He said the 85 Youth Club, which opens on two evenings a week, had a membership of 60, with about 45 of them attending each session. All the members were pupils at the school.

A classroom was converted to be used for the club back in 1985, and now houses a coffee bar and two pool tables, and the club gave £1,000 towards the cost. The school has said this money will be returned.

Mr Elliott said: "Should a school the size of Archbishop Holgate's be so desperate for one room?

"All we are asking for is the use of a facility that we have had for the last 18 years to continue for the benefit of its own young people and its community.

"Over the years, a lot of young people, who are no doubt parents themselves now, have had hours of pleasure from the efforts of the 85 Club and we would like to offer the club to many more."

John Harris, head teacher of Archbishop Holgate's School, said: "We have been in discussion with the club for 18 months and have given them a very good period of consultation.

"We are a rapidly expanding school and we do desperately need the space for teaching.

"Because the youth club was unable to find alternative premises for this September, we offered them an extension but we simply have no alternative but to turn the room into a classroom.

"We have worked with the City of York Council's youth service and with the 85 Club to find alternative provision both on the site and at a number of venues elsewhere and we will continue to work with them."

He said the school had offered the club a prime part of the school site, should the club wish to build purpose-built accommodation there. "This school is used extensively by the community in the evenings and at weekends. We pride ourselves on our close involvement with the community and community groups," he said.

The Archbishop could not be reached for comment.