BAR and catering services at a town's flagship arts centre are in the red - because people aren't sinking enough pints!

The service at the Mechanics suffered an £8,400 loss for the year to April. Councillors ordered a re-fit and cost-cutting changes to steer the bar and cafe clear of trouble after the Government warned there should be no more losses at the council-run unit.

Now leisure chiefs will have to tell the Department of the Environment, which monitors all council-run services, that not everything is ship shape in bar and catering - despite extensive efforts to keep financial heads above water.

Last year councillors ordered a shake-up of opening times and non-profit making services were discontinued, says a report to the recreation and leisure committee.

Two staff opted for voluntary redundancy to slash costs and the Lite Bite cafe became a self-service Coffee Shop with a new menu.

The Shuttle Bar closed for a major facelift and re-opened as Oliver's Bar, but still not enough people came for more. Despite an encouraging re-launch, the January-March trading period dragged the service down into loss.

In his report to members, community services director Ian Saville, says: "The overriding problem is the low turnover. Following the bar refurbishment, it was hoped that a reasonable lunchtime and midweek evening trade would be generated, but this has not happened.

"Also, since the operational changes to the Coffee Shop the estimated increase in daily turnover has not occurred."

He added that there was no Blues Festival during the trading period, which normally provides a substantial profit.

Annual figures show turnover was more than £50,000 down on last year, when two Blues Festivals fell into the trading period.

Mr Saville says the re-launch in late November, followed by a busy pre-Christmas period, resulted in the service making a substantial profit in the third quarter.

Members of the council's recreation and leisure committee agreed to accept the trading statement.

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