PAUL Cocks insists the soul of Weymouth Football Club is “not for sale” after turning down a £5,000-a-month offer from former Dorchester Town chairman Eddie Mitchell to take on son Tom and ex-Magpie boss Shaun Brooks.

Echosport has received a copy of the emails between the Terras’ director and property developer Mitchell.

In them, Mitchell senior, now chairman of AFC Bournemouth, offers the cash-strapped Terras £5,000 a month to sign Mitchell junior on the playing staff and appoint Brooks as the team’s new manager.

Cocks said: “Eddie Mitchell offered us £5,000 a month if we would take his son as a player and Shaun Brooks as a manager free of charge.

“But we back Ian Hutchinson completely and the soul of this club is not for sale.”

Tom has been confined to the county town bench in recent weeks while Brooks, who joined Dorchester alongside Eddie in June 2007 before resigning from his post last January, has been absent from the dugout since stepping down as Winchester City boss in September.

In the first email, dated Thursday, October 15, Cocks asks Mitchell senior to outline his proposal after an initial approach to the Terras.

In response, five days later, Mitchell states in an email sent via a Blackberry device: “Just to confirm my offer is both Shaun Brooks and Tom Mitchell free of charge. My motivation is my football life revolves around my son. He has failed to make the team at DTFC since I left the club. I believe there is a hidden agenda for this and I would be indebted to any club in the BSS league who would consider playing him on merit and there is no doubt Brooks is to me the best manager there could be in the BSS league.

“I would consider considerable financial and personal support if your board takes up my offer. I have fallen out of love with DTFC. This email is off the record please.”

Cocks’ reply, on the same day, reads: “Hi Eddie, you would need to put a specific figure on the level of financial support for us to be able to consider this proposal; and any sum would have to be paid in advance.”

The next morning, last Wednesday, Mitchell’s response is: “I don’t want anything back. I can- not understand your hesitancy. I have already offered 5k per month in advance.”

After Cocks responds by outlining the club’s crippling debts, Mitchell sends a final email to Cocks, again from a Blackberry device and again on Wednesday, reading: “Tesco say every little helps. My 5k and two able personnel could lead to other things but I need an answer. If you don’t want help I’ll look elsewhere.”

Mitchell senior though, owner of Seven Developments, has denied he sent the emails. He told Echosport: “There’s no truth in it whatsoever. Tom’s on a contract at Dorchester. He’s disappointed he hasn’t been featuring as much lately but that’s up to him to get back into the team.

“Someone’s out to get me and they’ve made up a mock of my email address.”

Meanwhile, caretaker-boss Ian Hutchinson has been busy ahead of this afternoon’s trip to Basingstoke Town (3pm).

The Terras’ chief has allowed keeper Simon Evans to go to Bridport on a month’s loan while drafting in Team Bath University gloveman Austin Byfield, who made a brief appearance for Weymouth in pre-season.

However, former manager Matty Hale is not expected to travel with the squad today.