SWINDON Town Football Club have not paid rent on the County Ground football stadium for months.

Swindon Borough Council own the site and are now taking the club to court.

A council spokesman said: “The football club has rent arrears and we have made every effort to resolve the issue, providing plenty of opportunities for the club to work with us on structuring a repayment plan.

"We set the club a final deadline to respond with an offer to clear the arrears but, when this was missed, we had no choice but to start the necessary legal action for payment of the debt.

“We fully appreciate that the coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on the finances of lower league football clubs, including Swindon Town, but as with any tenant, the council will take the necessary action if rent is not paid.

“We remain committed to working with the football club to find a way forward on this issue.”

The figure owed by the club to the council is unconfirmed though BBC Wiltshire reported that the rent arrears date back to April 2020.

This follows news that the club's players, staff and office workers were not paid last month amid long-running uncertainty about the club's future ownership.