A NATIONAL housing company has built flood defences on land belonging to Droitwich Rugby Football Club, it has been claimed.

When Persimmon Homes bought the old Hanbury Road rugby ground off the club in 1996, Droitwich RFC held on to a one-metre-wide strip running along the bank of the River Salwarpe.

The club held on to this land in the hope that its value would increase and could be sold for a profit, said members of the board at a Press conference called by Droitwich RFC on Thursday.

This ransom strip remained untouched while Persimmon Homes began the development in 1998.

Last year, the company struck a deal with Wychavon District Council to move an area allocated for leisure space elsewhere and build 17 more houses on the flood plain. Wychavon approved the application in November on the condition that flood defences were to be built to protect the new homes.

After Christmas, Persimmon began work increasing the height along a 200m stretch of the riverbank, which Droitwich RFC says belongs to them.

Phil Hopkins, the club's honorary secretary said the rugby club was never consulted about the plans to build on the ransom strip and last week launched a complaint with the local government Ombudsman.

"We believe that Wychavon did not carry out its duty as a planning authority by not informing us," said Mr Hopkins, at the Press conference.

"We feel we need to be compensated by Persimmon and we need to be satisfied as to our liability if this raised bank causes flooding further downstream," said club chairman Rob Bray.

"During the course of the season our players met challenges on the playing field and the committee is not going to walk away from challenges off it."

Droitwich RFC committee member Peter Sabel said as a community club, the committee had a responsibility to its 400 members to get the most from its assets.

"We feel ripped off," he said. "Persimmon have trespassed on our and land and we have been railroaded."

The Evening News has a copy of documents which clearly state the land belongs to the club and that Persimmon Homes must keep club trustees informed of any development plans.

But Wychavon District Council's planning solicitor, Lisa Peakman-Short, said Persimmon Homes had not informed the council they didn't own the strip of land.

"Persimmon Homes, for whatever reason, presented the council with an incorrect certificate at the time of the planning application," said Mrs Peakman-Short.

She said the council accepted the information in the certificate on good faith and were unaware of Droitwich RFCs involvement.

Persimmon Homes said it would be meeting with the club next week and refused to comment on the matter before then.

"Persimmon Homes is trying everything it can to resolve the matter," said a spokeswoman.