A CLOSURE-threatened museum devoted to the Wyre Forest woodland looks set for a New Year reprieve.

The Wyre Forest Wildlife Museum which lies deep in the heart of the ancient woodland was to shut after 14 years thrilling folk across the continent.

Custodians who ran the museum, featuring a host of stuffed animals, forest crafts and information on the woodland, were hit by a Government shake-up of property tax.

The five volunteers, who ran the shed-like building at Button Oak on a shoestring budget, were informed they had to shell out £208 a year.

However, after the Shuttle/Times & News spoke to Wyre Forest District Council of the museum's plight chief executive Walter Delin pledged to help the forest lovers.

He said: "This is something we would like to see continue. It is a voluntary-run scheme which benefits the community.

"If they would like to submit an application for rate relief it will be dealt with quickly in the New Year. I cannot prejudge an application but I do not foresee any problems."

Founder member and treasurer Mike Pagett was delighted at the news.

He said: "I'm certainly a lot more optimistic than I was two or three weeks ago.

"We will submit an application and hopefully it will be sorted out and the community will continue to benefit from the museum."

Mr Pagett previously feared the museum which hosts visits from parties of schoolchildren and folk across Europe, would close next year.

He said last week: "We have a put a lot of hard work into the museum over the years. We just about cover our insurance from donations and if we have to pay this new sum we will be forced to close.

"This would be a great shame because although it is a specialist interest those who visited the museum really enjoyed it."

The museum, which opens on Sunday afternoons from Easter to October, features a host of stuffed deers, badgers, snakes, buzzards, weasels, polecats, minks and wolves among the displays which give more than a flavour of the forest.