Leisure club members at a top Loch Lomond hotel are furious over a decision to dismiss a fitness guru they say has turned their lives around.

News that instructor Tony Rutherford's services will no longer be required after December has upset club members at five-star Cameron House.

Bosses at the plush hotel are now being urged to reverse their decision to dump Tony who works there on a freelance basis.

Club member Louise Duffy told the Reporter: "Tony's experience in helping people lose weight and regain fitness is immense - in the eyes of the leisure club member he's a hero. He was told about his impending dismissal face-to-face by a manager. He is devastated."

Now the disgruntled members will meet hotel bosses on Wednesday to plead for Tony to be kept on.

Louise, 41, from Bonhill, said: "I used to be severely overweight and I had lost my motivation after previous instructors who had been helping me left the club.

"But when Tony arrived and took me under his wing, things changed and with his help and instruction I went from 18 stones to 10 and a half stones over a period of two years.

"At the start I could barely walk because I was so overweight but that has all changed and now I am one of the fittest in the class."

She credits the "Les Mills" method taught by Tony as being a major force in turning her life around. The method involves using weights for a total body workout to music, with claims it will burn up to 540 calories.

Louise says she has been told Cameron House gym staff are being trained to take over from Tony, but does not believe they will be able to match his expertise.

Louise and fellow leisure club members will also complain at the Wednesday's meeting about what they say is the sub-standard condition of the club.

She said: "The facilities have deteriorated and now do not reflect the five-star status."

This week, Andy Roger, resort director, confirmed to the Reporter that Wednesday's meeting would go ahead but gave no hope that Andy would be kept on.

He said there are plans to implement a change in the resourcing of the leisure club class timetable from towards the end of this year "which is in the best interests of the success of the club".

He added: "It is a return to how the club has run in the past with a commitment to investing resource in our team of people employed at the resort.

"All of our fitness instructors have the appropriate skills and qualifications required and we do not intend to remove any classes from our schedule. In fact we are looking at member feedback and considering some additions to the timetable.

"We have over 1200 members and have received less than 10 direct emails from members concerned about the situation with freelance instructor Anthony Rutherford and his departure at the end of the year.

"A request was made for a members' meeting which we immediately accepted and this will take place on Wednesday with The Carrick general manager, who oversees the leisure club, and also the leisure club manager.

Mr Roger added: "Anthony Rutherford has been a valuable part of the leisure club team, in a freelance capacity, and we thank him for his continued contribution.

And on complaints about the alleged 'sub-standard' facilities, he said: "As a five star resort we are committed to managing ongoing maintenance as required, as well as maintaining high standards of daily housekeeping."