A POOLE gym has offered a contribution towards new mats for a martial arts club after the original ones went missing from a store.

The Takemusu Iwama South Coast Aikido Club claimed 40 of its mats were left at Fitness First in Fleetsbridge and disappeared when its late instructor, Tim Buswell, was terminally ill with cancer.

Members only discovered the mats, which cost £99 each new, had gone missing a few months after 55-year-old Tim’s death last year.

The club has embarked on fundraising to try and replace them.

A spokesperson for the gym told the Echo: “Due to a recent refurbishment in the club, the mats were moved by third parties and misplaced. As a gesture of goodwill, Fitness First are happy to offer a contribution towards the 15 missing mats.”