The New Saints ha?ve come out fighting after concerns were raised over the repayment to Oswestry Town Council of a 'legacy grant' in 2013.

The club, based at The Venue in Park Hall, released a statement yesterday through chief operating officer Ian Williams, after the issue was raised at the council's meeting last Monday, with a private investigator ?requesting? the council to ask Shropshire Council to clarify what repayments it should have received.

Mr Williams insists TNS have acted appropriately throughout the process and highlighted the impact the £80,000 funding – given by the Market Town Revitalisation Programme (MTRP) to install seating for the club's Champions League games – has had, claiming it has been worth £4 million to the town.

He said: "The club ha?ve hosted a number of UEFA Champions League games since the grant was awarded with more than 40,000 people attending these and other domestic games, bringing much?-?needed economic benefit to the town of Oswestry.

"Without such support, these games would have been lost to other towns such as Wrexham or Newtown with the estimated loss of spend in the town being in excess of £4 million.

"In addition, the club this season ha?ve hosted games in the Scottish Challenge Cup (Irn-Bru Cup) at Park Hall Stadium, further raising the profile of the town and attracting in excess of 2,000 people to the games.

"All of these events boost the local economy with hotels, shops and public houses thriving with the additional revenue.

"The work undertaken by the club’s charitable arm, The New Saints FC Foundation, takes great pride in addressing the needs of local people by providing positive, sustainable activities for all ages and abilities and giving people of Oswestry opportunities to stay or be fit and healthy.

"The Foundation’s involvement extends across many areas including education, health, social inclusion and equality, underlining our commitment to have a positive impact and make a difference to the lives of people in Oswestry and the surrounding area.

"As an organisation, we actively collaborate with local and national organisations to the benefit of local people and pride ourselves in hosting recreational activity on a day?- to?- day basis for the past ?10? years at our facility The Venue in Oswestry and will continue to do so well into the future."

Oswestry town councillors voted to write to Shropshire Council to ask for more details.