HOPES of reopening the much-loved Mecca bingo hall have been quashed by the firm's national bosses.

The Rank Group, owners of Mecca bingo hall blamed a "discriminatory" tax regime for the closure of its Swindon branch this weekend.

The Mecca bingo hall, in Regent Circus, dropped its final ball on Saturday night.

But Coun David Glaholm (Ind, Penhill) said as the area manager was in Swindon yesterday and the company had no immediate need for the building, it could be temporarily reopened.

But a company spokeswoman yesterday told the Adver: "We closed our doors to the public on Saturday with a leaving party."

She said the closure was due to the "double taxation" of the bingo industry, which the Government failed to abolish in its last budget.

"The bingo industry is subjected to double taxation by the government in that we pay gross profit tax and VAT," she said.

"We have been lobbying the Government for a long time in an effort to level the playing field.

"To a large degree this is the reason we have had to close the Mecca bingo hall in Swindon."

In a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling, Simon Wykes, the managing director of Mecca Bingo, and Andy Campbell, the general manager of Mecca Bingo Swindon, spelled out the importance of bingo.

They said: "The Mecca Bingo club in Swindon employs 10 people from the local area; these jobs will now be lost.

"It provides a warm, friendly and fun social experience for thousands of people from the area, many of whom are women; that amenity will now disappear.

"At least six licensed bingo clubs in Great Britain have closed since March 12, 2008 when the Government chose to ignore the bingo industry's calls for a fair deal in the budget.

"It seems likely that many more will close by the end of the year unless you take action now."

Mecca announced the closure of the bingo hall less than a week before Saturday's curtain call.

Almost 200 players came to the closing party, where champagne and music was on offer.

The building has been bought by the New Swindon Company on behalf of Swindon Council, who have earmarked the site for future regeneration.

It is hoped that the building will form part of the cultural quarter. There are no plans to do anything with the building in the immediate future.

A petition to protest against the closure has been compiled by angry bingo-lovers.