A woman who claims she "put her life on the line" for an Oxford social club which is refusing to pay her hospital bill says she is prepared to fight them through the courts.

Marilyn Parrott, who used to work for Oxford's Morris Motors Athletic and Social Club in Cowley, has paperwork stating the club's insurers are liable for the £3,000 hospital bill which she was left with.

She was injured during an armed robbery at the club in November 2004 and, after months of waiting to be seen on the NHS, claims the club's committee told her to seek private medical attention for which either it or its insurers would foot the bill.

She has a letter signed by former club chairman Tom Doliamiestating all her medical expenses are covered by the club's insurers.

She was also sent an email by a committee member telling her: "Should the insurers refuse to pay up for any reason, then the club should assume the debt, so don't worry, you should not have to pay it yourself".

Armed with this information she says she happily arranged for her knee operation to be carried out privately and had surgery a year ago.

But a year on, the bill remains unpaid and she is being chased by debt collectors.

She said: "The only way I can see this being solved now is if I go through the small claims court.

"Morris Motors have told me to claim against their insurance but I have sought legal advice and have been told I can't do this because I was injured during a criminal act. It wasn't an accident, so I can't claim on their public liability insurance.

"I can't seem to get Morris Motors to understand this. I've told them that time and time again. This leaves me in a really difficult position.

"They told me they would take on the debt if the insurers wouldn't and, after all that we have done for the club, I would have thought that was the least they could do. We put our lives on the line for the club.

"I'm not asking them to pay it all off at once. I know they can't afford that. I just want them to do the decent thing and come to an arrangement with the hospital."

Before the operation, Mrs Parrott had been unable to walk properly and had been struggling to climb the stairs to her flat, where she lived with husband Chris, who was also injured in the robbery.

Sixteen months later he was almost beaten to death by a gang of youths and is still being treated for his injuries. Having already had five operations, doctors this week told him he might need a sixth on his saliva duct.

The couple moved away from Oxford six months ago in a bid to put the past behind them.

He said: "Life has improved a lot since we left Oxford. It had been stress-free until these problems started. Now this is bringing it all back."

Michael Kelly, Morris Motors club secretary, told the Oxford Mail: "We have been more than fair to Chris and Marilyn.

"We have paid for them to go on holidays and we paid them full pay when, strictly speaking, we should have only paid them sick pay. We have helped them all the way through.

"Marilyn has been told what she needs to do to make a claim. She must be able to make a claim somehow. As a club we can't go making payments. It's got to go through the insurance company. We're in a difficult position."