A town council has been urged to drop a 81,000 lawsuit against three former community volunteers, writes Tim Hughes.

Faringdon Town Council is threatening to take legal action against the former trustees of the town's community association, following a dispute over debts and unpaid repair bills.

But supporters of the men who have been dubbed The Faringdon Three took to the town's streets, calling for the case to be dropped. Campaigners handed out leaflets criticising the council for wasting 10,000 of public money on legal advice and condemned its decision to make "scapegoats" of the men.

The council claims Terry Lawrence, of Meadow Bank, Wally Priest, of Bennett Road, and Eric Dunbar, of Folly View Road, are responsible for 78,000 of repairs and 3,000 in rent arrears owed by the now-defunct Faringdon Community Association. The association was based in the Old Pump House in the town's Market Place, which was sub-leased from the town council, but fell into disrepair following the group's demise.

The three men say they should not be held responsible for the outstanding costs.

Mr Lawrence and Mr Priest claim they resigned as trustees at least two years before the association was wound up.

They insist they signed a new lease over to four new trustees including former mayor Alan Hickmore though they were not ratified by the town council. One of the campaign organisers, Ann Strowger, of Marlborough Gardens, said: The council has made scapegoats of these three men, even though it knows they are not responsible.

"People are amazed at the way the men have been treated. They can't do anything with their lives because they don't know what is going to happen. It is a terrible burden for them to know they could lose their homes."

Mr Priest thanked people in the town for their support. He said: "It has been super. We need more of it to convince the council that they are taking the wrong path.

This has been an enormous strain. We just want the council to think again."

No-one from the council, which is still considering whether to take legal action, was available for comment.