A COUNCILLOR has called on Swindon Town's new chairman to pay back in full the £415,000 it owes to the council.

Coun David Glaholm (Independent, Penhill) says that he hopes multi-millionaire Andrew Fitton can be persuaded to pay back the money to help deprived areas in the town.

He believes that, although the owner is not obliged to pay back the club's full debt, which was created prior to his takeover, he should donate the money instead.

Coun Glaholm said: "If the council could get the full amount the club owes it could do some great things for the deprived areas of Swindon.

"Perhaps the multi-millionaire could be persuaded to put his hands in his pocket and pay the full amount or donate the money to the council.

"The football club owes a lot of money to the council regardless of whether he has to pay it back or not I think he should, otherwise the town will lose out.

"It is great the football club has been saved but now this guy should reimburse the council."

Mr Fitton, however, says the debt has nothing to do with him and the council is responsible after allowing the club to continue to run-up debts in the first place.

He said: "He is completely out of order saying that.

"The reason it is not being paid back by me is because it is from five years ago.

"It has nothing to do with me.

"This club was within days of going bust. If it had, all this money and the club would have gone forever.

"How would the people of Swindon feel now if their club had been kicked out of the league?

"It is a little unfair to suggest that people who have rescued a team should somehow go back in time.

"After all I am not benefiting from all this.

"Why did the council allow the debt to grow so large in the first place?"

The council is currently owed £415,609 by the club, but will only be paid back a proportion of the figure as the club entered into a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) with shareholders in May 2002.

A CVA allows the club to pay back only some of what it owes, as creditors considered it the best option to secure at least some of their money.

A council spokesman said: "We are currently waiting for the supervisor of the CVA to let us know how much we are likely to receive.

"It must be pointed out that the council is not the club's biggest creditor, and the debts in question date back from before 2002, when the club was under different management."