It is every dancer's worse nightmare . . . to be left on the sidelines of the hall with no partner.

But it is a dilemma facing one tea dance club which has seen its female dancers pairing up with each other because there are not enough male partners to dance with.

Now the ladies of the Belvedere Community Centre, on Belvoir Street, Norwich, have issued a plea for not one, but 27 men in Norwich to come along to join them. Currently, there are only eight men who attend the tea dance sessions on a Monday afternoon from 2pm till 4pm at the centre.

This means some of the male dancers have been known to do the rumba and the swing with eight different partners to make sure the 35 ladies can dance with a man.

Chairman of the Belvedere Community Centre, Sharon Betts, 41, said: 'You don't need dancing shoes or good rhythm, it is just a great opportunity to meet new people. And if you are interested in the ladies, then Mondays at the Belvedere is the place to be!'

The sessions are run by David and Janet Halladine, who not only provide the music, but also teach the group the moves.

Dances featured include quicksteps, sequence ballroom, modern sequence and line dancing.

Bill Butler, 79, who has been attending dance clubs in Norwich since he moved here from Glasgow 41 years ago, said: 'I think the Belvedere is the friendliest club me and my wife have ever been too. They are always celebrating people's birthdays and putting on occasions. We joined about a year ago and we were accepted by everyone very quickly.'

The Belvedere Community Centre is a charity run by 14 volunteers whose aim is to provide a host of social events that anyone can take part in.

Activities include Slimming World and live band nights and they also rent out the rooms to organisations like St John Ambulance and the Green Party.

For more information about the tea dances, contact the Belvedere Community Centre on 01603 616894.

Do you have a quirky story? Contact reporter Ben Woods on 01603 772439 or email ben.woods@archant.co.uk