A COMMUNITY centre could be on the verge of closure because of a cash shortage, it is feared.

Villagers in Middleton St George, near Darlington, are being encouraged to lend their support to a campaign to save the centre.

The local community association believes it will be forced to fold unless extra funding can be found to replace an annual £4,500 grant which has been withdrawn by Darlington Borough Council.

Officials say that if current centre users were to be asked to bear the running costs, the association would have to charge £40 per session and hire the building out every day for 50 weeks of the year.

Without additional funding, it is unlikely that the centre will be able to continue beyond next April.

Chairman Councillor Mike Latter said: "The borough council grant was two-thirds of our income and we just don't have any money -it is as simple as that."

The borough council announced earlier this year that money from its community education fund for the village halls was being stopped and channeled into projects for young people instead.

Now, Coun Latter believes the only solution may be to ask the parish councils of Middleton St George and Lower Dinsdale to increase the parish precept in next year's community charge.

"What we need to do is get funding from a statutory body and not one-off grants," said Coun Latter.

"I am in favour of it coming from the parish council, but the practical problem is whether we could get the village to pay for it."

The centre hosts community groups on five nights a week.

Other association members are looking into the possibility of securing grant aid from other funding bodies.

Anyone interested in joining the management committee to help the campaign to save the community centre is invited to attend a meeting there on Wednesday, October 2, at 7pm.