CLASSIC World of Fitness member Karen Openshaw paid £249 for just one hour at the Bury gym.

"It must be the most expensive gym session anyone has ever had," said an angry Karen, of Ridge Crescent, Whitefield.

Karen (37) was one of hundreds of members who found themselves locked out of the women-only gym in Brook Street which closed without warning this month. Many of the members met yesterday to begin a campaign for the return of their money.

Karen believes she was conned into parting with her money when the gym contacted her on February 18 -- just weeks before the mystery closure -- about a special offer.

She explained: "My membership had expired, and Classic World of Fitness phoned me inviting me to take up the special offer where I paid for one year and got the second year free.

"But I was told that to take advantage of the offer I would have to visit the gym the same day and pay in full. They must have known then that the gym would close when they offered me this special offer," added the mother-of-two.

Other members who have contacted the Bury Times claim that they too were invited to take advantage of the offer even though their membership had not expired.

Karen visited the gym once on February 24 after renewing her membership.

"The next time I went on March 1, a notice had been put up saying it was closed for urgent rewiring, which is fair enough because these things happen," she said.

"Then I read in the Bury Times that it had shut."

It is understood that gym equipment has been removed from the premises and that staff, said to be owed wages, were told over the phone that the club was not re-opening.

Karen said: "I am very angry. I cannot afford to lose £249. I am hoping to claim it back from my credit card company but it is nowhere near certain that I will get the money."

Classic's Warwickshire-based managing agents, Northern Fitness Contracts, have been swamped with angry letters from members demanding back their money.

But director Mr Robin Brown said they could not get into the premises because the locks had been changed.

He said: "As far as we're concerned, we still can't get access to the building. We have received many letters from members which are being acknowledged by Northern Fitness Contracts. There are a lot of people who are exercising their rights to go elsewhere.

"It is our intention to look at what Classic World of Fitness Bury's liabilities are. These letters will be dealt with and once the situation is clear they will get a full response, hopefully within ten days."

He said the company had not ceased trading, but that the gym had closed. Mr Brown could not say if the premises would re-open and resume operations should the current access problems be overcome.

He hoped the picture would become clearer by the end of the month.

Last week, the managing agents for the current landlords denied they had changed the locks to the gym.

On Thursday 100 gym members -- including some staff --met in St Joseph's parish church centre, off Walmersley Road, in a bid to launch legal action against the firm.

Speaking after the meeting, Alison Dawson said: "We believe the firm acted fraudently by offering special discounts when they did. At the meeting we collected information which we will passing on to the CID."

She added: "We will continue to write letters demanding our money back."

A second meeting will be held at the same venue on March 29 at 7.30pm. Members who could not attend the meeting but would like to be updated should telephone 07817947496.