EMERGENCY work has to be carried out on a roof which could fall in at any time at Bewdley tourist attraction.

Tiles and timber covering the top of the buildings either side of The Shambles at Bewdley Museum have been deteriorating over several years and repair work, which would cost up to £30,000, is said to be vital.

They are listed buildings and held in trust by Wyre Forest District Council, which is the sole trustee.

A structural engineer's report revealed "... the timber lathes to which the roofing tiles are secured have failed to the point where it is only the weight of the tiles which is holding the roof in place."

It has been decided urgent work is needed to prevent tiles slipping or the roof collapsing and to ensure the safety of the staff at the museum.

In a report to the cabinet, council officers said "... during high winds and snow, there could be a catastrophic failure of the timbers, resulting in substantial additional expense to repair and refurbish the listed buildings."

The museum, which is currently closed for the winter break, is due to reopen in April and officers said, if the work was not carried out immediately, it would be unsafe to reopen the premises to the public.

Andrew Dickens, head of cultural, leisure and commercial services, said the damage to the roof did not pose any danger to the exhibits in the museum, adding: "We went to do some temporary work and found the timber had decayed more than we thought. We were planning to do it in the autumn of this year, but we need to do it before we reopen."

He added it was estimated the work would take between four to six weeks to complete, depending on the weather.

The issue will go before the council's cabinet at a meeting tonight with a request for a supplementary grant of up to £30,000 to cover the work in the current financial year.

The cabinet is also asked to include it in its budget proposals, which will be considered at a meeting on Thursday, February 16.