Climbers have given the thumbs-down to plans to buy a disused youth hostel in the Lake District.

The Climbers’ Club committee had wanted to set up a hut on the site of the former hostel at Stannah Cross, at the southern end of St John’s in the Vale, near Thirlmere. But a ballot of members turned down the proposal.

Now, committee members say they will continue the search for a suitable hut.

More than half of the club’s 1,400 members voted, with 65 per cent of those voting opposing the plan. A similar majority wanted the club to carry on looking for a new hut.