AN ACCRINGTON nightspot has closed its doors to clubbers - less than four months after it was launched.

A group of five friends launched Club Eclectic - in the former Lar-de-dars and Eclipse Club building on Willow Street - in August, after investing more than £50,000 in the project. But the future of the club was thrown into doubt last month after one of the five, Kristan Dewell, pulled out of the venture - leaving the remaining four struggling to keep the business afloat.

And this week Rob Graham, who ran the club with his wife Cath, sister Gaelle and her boyfriend Adam McEvoy, said they had been forced to close for good.

Mr Graham, 28, of Avenue Parade, Accrington, said: "We have looked at all the possibilities but we can't carry on. We wanted to give Accrington an alternative nightclub but that's not possible now for us. It was a combination of spending too much money on the building and not enough on the promotion. I think the final nail in the coffin was when Kristan left. It has been a very stressful time."

Mr Graham, who has not spoken to Miss Dewell since she left, added that the landlords had taken possession of all the fittings and he was writing to the creditors to explain the situation. He said that they did not have enough money to liquidate the business and he apologised to all the creditors, customers and staff.

Miss Dewell, 21, of Cleveleys Road, Accrin-gton, said the club would have closed anyway, regardless of whether she had stayed.

She said she pulled out of the venture because she wasn't earning a regular income, adding: "It is a shame to see it close but the bills kept coming in and we just didn't have any money to pay them."