Councillors have called for a big shake-up in the running of seaside entertainment on the Yorkshire Coast.

Following a detailed probe into Scarborough Borough Council's theatres and night spots under the Audit Commission's best value regime, major changes have been advocated.

The council's entertainments are the first in the country to be investigated.

Councillor Don Robinson, himself a former theatre owner in Scarborough called for the 2000-seat Futurist theatre on the resort's seafront to be closed and converted into an exhibition centre to help boost the town's conference business.

He said that the running of theatres at Scarborough and Whitby should be put out to tender.

The report also reveals it was costing £8.30 a head for each council tax payer to run shows, while in Great Yarmouth was £1.18, Torbay £2.25 and only 23p in Bournemouth