FEARS the curtain could come down on a historic town theatre for good continue to grow due to the ongoing coroanvirus pandemic.

Witham Public Hall has issued a desperate plea for donations after admitting it faces an uncertain future.

The venue in Collingwood Road has been shut to the public since March 16 due to social distancing rules put in place to slow the spread of Covid-19 and with no timeframe available for when it could open, bosses admit the hall's very existence is under threat.

A spokesman said: "It is pretty obvious the COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out our programme of events for several months.

"We really hope we can get back to providing first class entertainment for the people of Witham and beyond, but our worry is that with bills still coming in but no income from hirings or shows, we could run out of money before the restrictions are finally lifted.

"If you value the Public Hall and want to help ensure we are still here for the long term please consider making a donation, no matter how small.

A crowdfunding page has been set up to help collect donations for the public hall.

A target of £10,000 has been set and more than £1,000 (check fig) has been raised so far.

The venue, which was built in 1894 at the cost of £2,500, is run by the Witham Hall Public Trust which took up ownership from Braintree Council in 2011.

Manager Nigel Northfield says the uncertainty over what Government support may become available to the charity is adding to the concerns for the theatre's future.

He said: "It’s not clear at present if we will qualify for the grants for small businesses.

"Although we’re reasonably financially secure, that position can change very quickly now the taps have been turned off completely and a lot will depend on any grants we may be eligible for, that’s why we’ve been so grateful to see so many people making donations on our crowd funding page.

"It’s great to see how much our audiences appreciate what we’re doing at the public hall, and remember, the hall is run almost exclusively by volunteers."

The public hall says it has so far had to cancel 10 shows and events.

It is offering to either refund tickets or provide new ones for rescheduled events.

Anyone who has not had an email is asked to check their junk folder or email the public hall directly at info@withampublichall.co.uk.

A crowdfunding page has been set up to help collect donations for the public hall.

A target of £10,000 has been set and more than £1,000 (check fig) has been raised so far.

The venue is run by the Witham Hall Public Trust which took up ownership in 2011.