Brighton Bears chief Nick Nurse has accused rivals London Towers of making an illegal approach for one of his top players.

Nurse alleges Towers offered guard Ralph Blalock terms for 2003/04 before the end of last season without first getting the club's permission.

Blalock's widely-anticipated switch to the south London outfit on a two-year deal was confirmed on Friday.

Nurse however maintains Blalock had that contract before him in his Brighton city centre hotel several days before Bears' play-off weekend in May, contrary to BBL regulations.

He has asked league chief Mike Smith to look into the deal.

Ironically, Blalock's departure has cleared Bears of a major selection and financial headache for their European matches.

Nurse already has Randy Duck under contract and is keen to use his only other import slot permitted under ULEB Cup regulations for a big man.

Blalock's year at Brighton, following seasons at Newcastle and Leicester, however, means he no longer needs a work permit, which is a major boost to Towers' recruitment plans as they bid to bounce back from a dismal 2002/03 campaign.

Nurse said: "I was aware Ralph was being contacted last season and that is illegal under the rules of basketball.

"I was also made aware he had a contract offered to him from London Towers in the week leading up to the Championship weekend.

"In my book that stinks.

"If you look back to the finals weekend, Ralph was awful in both games.

"I don't understand why they could not have waited another few days to speak to him.

"I have lodged an official complaint with the league and they have told me they have an independent person investigating it."

Nurse was initially keen to keep Blalock, known as King Ralph by fans throughout the league, in Brighton for at least another season.

That scenario changed when Bears were accepted into the ULEB Cup and suddenly had to piece together a squad less reliant on American players.

It is hard now to see where Blalock would have fitted into Nurse's plans for Europe.

He could have signed for domestic matches only, though that is likely to have been beyond the club's budget.

Nurse said: "As it turned out I could not have taken him. I would have had Randy and Ralph as my two permit players.

"A big man is more important. Two-guards tend to be more plentiful."

London Towers officials were last night unavailable for comment.

Towers coach Robbie Peers will see Blalock as an ideal replacement for Terrell Myers, who is moving to top flight Spanish outfit Girona.

Bears have already lost centre Wilbur Johnson to Giessen of Germany but Nurse has revealed he is closing in on new signings. He said: "I have got offers out there right now and things are going well."

Bears have three players under contract for the new campaign with Mike Brown also likely to sign.

Chester are setting the pace in terms of team building.

They have added Leopards point guard Rod Brown, one of the top players in the country last year, to three members of the side which won all four trophies two seasons ago.

Myers and Johnson are not the only big name departures from these shores.

Chester's Pero Cameron is with Waikato in his native New Zealand, Scottish Rocks playmaker Ted Berry has joined French second division side Reuil, point guard Mike Nurse has left Thames Valley and league MVP Kenny Gregory, also of Chester, is chasing the NBA dream with Chicago Bulls' summer league team.