A BALLET school which has been running in Alcester for 43 years will be forced to close if the Greig Centre's redevelopment bid fails.

The Rutleigh Norris Ballet School meets in the studio behind the Kinwarton Road centre three times a week after moving from Alcester Town Hall some years ago.

Principal Edwina Norris said her school, which caters for more than 90 young dancers aged between three and 18, would not be able to move to Alcester Grammar School's new facilities because they would not be available early enough.

The ballet school starts at 4pm on Monday and Friday and 5pm on Thursday. It is anticipated the grammar school will not be open for community use until 6pm.

"If the Greig closes we will have to close," she said. "We can't go back to the town hall because of the problems with parking and the young mums having to walk their children through all the cars - that's why we moved from there in the first place.

"And we can't use the other schools because they all have after school clubs, even the primary schools.

"We can't go to Bidford because there's already a ballet school there and we can't go to the little hall at Arrow because there's a tap class there. That will be it."

Mrs Norris went on to say parents who take their children to ballet bring business into the town.

"They go to the shops while they are waiting and some of them have joined the centre and use the facilities there or, if they are dropping older ones off, go into the bar and have a drink."

The ballet school funded a sprung dance floor at the Greig, which is used by other organisations, as well as contributing to a building fund for the Scouts. Mrs Norris said it would be "a loss to the community" if it was forced to fold, not just a loss to her pupils.

"I do hope the money comes forward," she said. "We do need this facility."