Haddington and District Invitation Homing Society are the next club to face the tax changes as a result of pigeon racing not being classified as a sport, with a 3,000 per cent increase in rent.

The club, which rents a 20ft by 18ft brick-built lock-up in Langriggs, used for storing pigeon baskets and as a meeting place for the club has been paying an unchanged rent of £10 for the last 15 years.

Last week, the council set a revised fee of £312 for 2008 and Local East Lothian Council member, Councillor Ludovic Broun-Lindsay, explained: “It is a tax issue because pigeon racing is not classified as a sport, but a business as there is prize money involved."

This came as a shock to the society members and stressed how the price increase would ground the club.

However, after a meeting last Friday between society members and East Lothian Council officials, the local authority has agreed to phase in the rent increase over two years.

The society will pay £156 for 2008, and the full £312 in 2009.