Harrogate'S famous Royal Hall Theatre has been suddenly shut down amid fears for public safety after a partial ceiling collapse.

The incident happened in one of the corridors, and the hall has been closed for all entertainments.

Action was taken by Harrogate International Centre, which runs the Grade II* listed building as part of its conference and exhibition complex, after the collapse raised new fears about the building's safety.

Some events scheduled for the 100-year-old building will be held in the nearby conference centre.

Two years ago, the upper circle was closed as a safety measure, drastically reducing capacity to the stalls and grand circle, but the ornate building, one of the biggest theatres in Yorkshire, had continued to stage events.

Full closure of the Royal Hall, which is also used for exhibitions and a range of other events, comes as plans are being made to spend £11m restoring its crumbling concrete which has caused major problems for the listed building.

Martin Weeks, Harrogate Borough Council chief engineer, said there were a number of issues associated with the gradual deterioration of the hall, including structural concrete problems which continued to get worse. Water ingress into parts of the building had also raised doubts about the safety of some plaster work.

The latest setback happened on Sunday when part of the ceiling in the south corridor collapsed.

Staff at the international centre complex are contacting organisers of entertainments and events, telling them of the closure. Some have booked pre-Christmas entertainments.

Paul Lewis, director of the international centre, said that where possible, entertainments would be relocated to the conference centre. "Where it is not possible to accommodate them on the planned date, we are urgently seeking alternatives.

"We are extremely sorry for any disruption this may cause but we cannot and will not put the public at risk," he said.

The National Heritage Lottery Fund has already offered more than £6m towards restoration and a Royal Hall Restoration Fund has pledged to raise £1m.

Film and television star Edward Fox has joined the campaign to save the theatre and attended a fundraising event, saying the building must not be allowed to be lost.

His great grandfather, Samson Fox, was Mayor of Harrogate from 1889-92.

Down the years, the theatre has featured top names ranging from the Beatles and Cliff Richard to Sir Thomas Beecham and Sir Malcolm Sargent.

A development study has been given the go-ahead, with the Heritage Lottery Fund granting £580,800 towards the study's £770,000 costs.

* In April, Harrogate Theatre in Oxford Street was forced to close for almost a month and cancel performances after parts of its decorative ceiling plasterwork crashed 45ft into the auditorium while the theatre was not in use.

However, that problem was resolved, and it is now operating as usual. The annual pantomime is about to open, Dick Whittington, which runs from next Friday to Saturday, January 11. For performance times and to book tickets, call the box office on 01423 502116.