One of Shropshire’s last water polo clubs which was running for more than three decades has folded due to dwindling numbers and a lack of cash.

Newport Water Polo Club, which used to practice in the town’s swimming pool, folded after members at its annual general meeting unanimously voted to pull in the nets for the final time on New Year’s Eve.

Sean Kinsin, club secretary, said: “This decision was not taken lightly but it was agreed that there was no viable alternative – Newport Water Polo Club will cease to exist after December 31, 2009.”

Stan Howell ran the club for 23 years from 1976 and is now the club’s honorary president. He said the number of people signing up was falling which raised the cost for everyone else.

“The main problem was getting someone to be secretary. We only have about four or five senior members,” he said

“We have gone from bad to worse over the years. We had three teams once, but now we are left with one senior team.

“We have not got a lot of members and we could not get enough people to do the secretarial jobs.

“When I started in 1976 the only way to keep the club going was to have junior members and now they have done away with that, there’s no youngsters in the club.

“I think we are the last club left because Shrewsbury dropped out 12 years ago.

“Quite a few of our members over the years go to university or get married and leave the area.

“The costs for hiring the pool have become too expensive and when you only have a few members it’s hard to find that money. We also have two referees and they cost about £20 each.”

Mr Howell said the club was becoming too much for only a few members to run and added there was a downbeat feeling in the club since the decision.

He added: “They are all disappointed. We are going to meet in January and hope that we can have an annual get together.”

Mr Howell said there was no outside interest to take over the club and they were now making arrangements to wind it up.