A TENNIS club employee has been arrested and suspended from his exclusive Bournemouth club in relation to "non-recent sexual offences."

Members of the West Hants Club in Talbot Woods have been reassured that "anyone directly assisting the police will not be on club premises during the course of the investigation."

And the Lawn Tennis Association has confirmed an individual has been suspended from all tennis activity.

A spokesman for Dorset Police told the Daily Echo: "Dorset Police received a referral from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) on Tuesday October 13 after being made aware of allegations relating to non-recent sexual offences involving a member of staff at the West Hants Club in Roslin Road South in Bournemouth.

"A full investigation is underway and a man has been arrested. He has been released under investigation while enquiries continue in joint partnership with the LTA."

In a statement, the LTA said: "Safeguarding concerns have been raised with the LTA about an individual at the West Hants club. We have referred the matter to the police and are cooperating fully with them and helping them in any way we can.

"We have also suspended an individual from all tennis activity. We would ask that any person who has any safeguarding concerns or anything they wish to disclose please contact the LTA in confidence at safeguarding@lta.org.uk or the police quoting occurrence 55200157123."

The club has contacted all its members in two emails in relation to the investigation.

In the first communication, Chief Executive Peter Elviss said: "We have been alerted that safeguarding concerns have been raised and the matter is being looked at jointly by the police and the LTA with support of the local authority."

He urged anyone with safeguarding concerns to contact the LTA or the police.

In a further email he added: "Anyone directly assisting the police will not be on club premises during the course of the investigation. Members who may be impacted by this investigation have been contacted separately

"We take safeguarding very seriously. May I remind you that our staff have been formally instructed not to comment so we ask that you respect this."