A LOSS-MAKING fish quay could be left high and dry if a council decides to withdraw funding.

Council bosses in Sunderland are said to be losing patience with the city's under-performing fish quay, which made reported losses of £56,684 in the last nine months of last year.

That equates to an average loss of about £6,300 per month at the quay, which is funded by council taxpayers.

A spokeswoman for Sunderland City Council said: "The council is unlikely to continue to finance the quay and would have to consider closure.

"This may prove to be inevitable unless a viable proposal is submitted in order to help the transfer of the quay back to a private operator."

She said that the council believed it was important that fishermen became actively involved in planning for the future of the quay.

But members of the Fishermen's Mutual Association are unhappy at cutbacks in selling points at the quay.

The council's decision to close all but one of the sales areas was taken on health and safety grounds, a move which the fishermen claim has hit their trade.