Ashby Museum may be forced to close in a year's time if £13,000 cannot be found to carry out urgent repairs.

Museum director, Ken Hillier, spoke to Ashby de la Zouch Town Council's Annual Town Meeting on Monday and explained that the needed doing for health and safety reasons.

But he also said that, even after financial help from the Government during the Coronavirus pandemic and support from the Town Council, there would be a shortfall of £5,000 if the work were to be carried out.

Mr Hillier also made an appeal to local businesses for help to make sure the Museum, which is managed and run by volunteers, stays open.

It is due to re-open this Monday (May 24).

Mr Hillier told councillors: "The bad news is that the old school, which we took over, has a bus shelter-like area which links the library with what is now the museum.

"That is now becoming dangerous.

"And we have to pay for this ourselves.

"We were given, with many others, £10,000 at the beginning of last year as our Covid recovery grant.

"Around £2,000 of that has been spent on a variety of things with re-opening.

"We can put forward our grant money of £8,000. We have had more than one look at it from builders, advised by the County Council, and unfortunately, it may cost up to £13,000.

"So we have a shortfall of £13,000. I'm not putting out a begging bowl to the Town Council because you support us so well anyway.

"What I am asking is, if there are any individuals or firms in the area who would be able to move us towards that £13,000.

"Because, within a year, I don't think we'd be able to open through Health & Safety.

"It only takes one visitor or volunteer to lean against the glass frontage, and they could go through it.

"It's that bad - the wood is rotten."