GILLINGHAM Football Club could lose as much as £20,000 at each sell-out game after being hit by a shock council order to lose one in 10 seats at Priestfield Stadium.

The council says the reduction in 1,120 seats at the stadium was imposed on safety grounds.

It has now meant a stoppage, for the time being, of the selling of tickets for the money-spinning clash with West Ham next week.

A council spokesman said: "At the moment we are not happy with the safety management of the ground when it is at full capacity."

The order had come on behalf of Medway Council from Gavin Wilders, Medway Council's head of environmental health, who is also chairman of the club's safety advisory group committee.

The club has given details on its website saying: "Mr Wilders has imposed a 10 per cent reduction on the capacity of our stadium against the club's wishes."

It added that chairman Paul Scally was now working to solve the problem. The message added that by law the club was unable to sell any more tickets for the game against West Ham on Saturday, September 20, for the time being.

The loss of seats is at various parts of the stadium, leaving 10,450. This remainder includes gap seats, those left empty to segregate rival fans.

Adult ticket prices, without concessions, average at £18 and the cut of 1,120 could lead to a loss of just over £20,000 for a sell-out home game.

The council says the order came into effect at the beginning of the season, in time for the August 16 Derby game, and stays in force until the club complies with the authority's safety concerns.

Medway Council said it had liaised with the police, fire brigade and Football Licensing Authority on this matter.

A council spokesman said: "The council does not work in isolation when a decision of this kind is taken. Any such decision is based on the need to ensure that people are always safe."