A KENT woman has been left frantically searching for a new venue for her 60th birthday party after the one she booked months ago was cancelled.

June Newman booked Rochester Prison’s Rochwood Staff Club, back in October and has invited many guests – some from abroad.

But she was told in a letter that her booking had been cancelled because of a Home Office U-turn on policy.

The club, in Sir Evelyn Road, is on Rochester Young Offenders Institution land, but is run by an independent committee as a business, and has taken private party bookings for more than 25 years.

But now the Home Office has changed its policy on non-members using prison social clubs, and committee member David Murray wrote to June, to inform her of the cancellation.

But the policy states that bookings taken prior to the new rules could be honoured – at the discretion of the club, which claims it was not informed by the prison service that they could honour existing bookings.

A band and caterers have both been booked and so far, Mrs Newman has been unable to find another venue for the July 14 bash.

She told the Medway Messenger: "I’ve booked caterers and a band. I can’t cancel my party as I’ve got people coming from abroad.

Mrs Newman, of Mount Road, Rochester, said: “I really think this whole situation could have been handled much better. If they’d written to me a bit earlier, I would have stood a better chance of getting another venue.”

Around eight bookings were cancelled by the committee. They didn’t inform people of the cancellations sooner because they were waiting for the Home Office’s new policy to be announced.

A Prison Service spokesman stated it is still up to the individual clubs to decide whether to honour existing bookings, and there had been no instruction not to.

The spokesman added: “Following a review into the cost-effectiveness of the use of Prison Service staff clubs the policy has been strengthened to ensure the premises are primarily used to provide recreation and refreshments for members.

“The premises may not be hired out for any private function where the number of non-members in attendance outweighs the number of members.”

Can you offer Mrs Newman a new party venue, or have you had your party cancelled at the Rochwood Club? Call the newsroom on 01634 227803.