ONE of the longest-serving members of Clayton-le-Moors Mothers' Club has stepped down as treasurer - nearly 50 years after she joined.

Edna Yates, of Maple Street, Clayton, first bec-ame a member of the club, which was then based at the Town Hall in the town, when she was a young mum-of-two. Now a great-grandmother, the 79-year-old has chosen to step down from her club duties due to ill health.

Members presented her with a leather handbag, gloves and scarf as a thank-you gift during a recent meeting.

Edna, who lives with Hugh, her husband of 55 years, is the third longest-serving member of the club, after president Nellie Hancock and chairman May Cornwell, who takes over as treasurer.

She said: "I have taken a back seat as I have heart trouble and difficulty walking. I said all along that I would keep on for as long as possible but last year I felt that I'd had enough."

Edna, who has three grandchildren - Jeanette Rushton, 34, Martin Rushton, 33, and Blair Yates, 11 - and an eight-year-old great-grandson, Sam Rushton, added that she had seen many changes to the club, which currently meets at the Arthur Wilson Centre in Pickup Street.

She said: "We used to have a lot of members but now it seems as though the young ones don't want to come any more. There are only around 26 members now, so it has really gone down - that is the same for a lot of the clubs. But I have enjoyed being treasurer and I will continue to see them all. I have a lot of friends there."