Letter-writer Graeme Bone is critical of the way in which information about the closure of the Excel Suite gym next month was relayed to members at a recent meeting within the Inverclyde Sports Centre complex.

There will be no new gym facility at Inverclyde until December 2016.

Graeme said: "I, along with many other Inverclyde gym members, are now being forced to find alternative arrangements to maintain our fitness after the announcement last Monday that the gym will be closing on October 4. Although I accept and, to a level, understand this decision, what I don’t accept is the blasé way this was communicated to the members by the hierarchy of Inverclyde.

"The questions put forward to John Kent were mostly unanswered and the other members at the top table, apart from Mr Gibson MSP who at least had the decency to speak, had absolutely no input.

"The gym can play a huge part in its members’ lifestyles and to abruptly inform them that a contract will be signed in a week’s time, and give five weeks notice to potentially change their lifestyle and routine, can be upsetting.

I also believe that when the “new” gym is open, the public members will be treated like second class citizens and cast aside at a moment’s notice when the elite sports men and women, who Inverclyde are only concerned about, are in residence.

The majority of members, I expect, will join Vikingar and I doubt if the current members there will be pleased with the potential influx of new members.

I would hope that Inverclyde have informed local gyms that this may happen and if Vikingar and KA Leisure have a marketing campaign then this is the time to work and plan to try and keep these new members from rejoining Inverclyde gym when it reopens.

"I would like to point out that this is aimed at the Inverclyde management and not the excellent staff who I have always found very professional, informative and encouraging."