Civic leaders have pledged selling off a town hall and its treasures would be a "last resort" as they struggle to find the cash to safeguard its future.

We revealed yesterday that Arundel Town Council had put forward the sales options among proposals for the future management of Arundel Town Hall.

A meeting of the council's town hall committee was told the historic building in Maltravers Road was too costly to run without a major cash injection.

Councillors agreed all options should be put on hold for six months and to monitor how much money could be made from hiring out the hall for functions.

Committee chairman Anne Harriott said: "We do not consider selling the town hall an option but perhaps in six months' time we might."

The town hall costs around £25,000 a year to run and until last year £10,000 came from the magistrates' courts held there.

A report to councillors set out seven options, including selling, letting or transferring it to a trust.

Another option was to make copies of valuable paintings and silver and sell off the originals.

Councillors immediately ruled out selling the hall and selling off paintings and silver, saying they had been given a historic duty to keep them.

Coun Don Ayling said: "That is our heritage and we cannot sell them."

Coun Ivan Olney said: "We would only do that in absolute desperation. That is a last resort."

Committee members also ruled out letting the whole of the town hall but agreed to look into letting out part of the building, such as the undercroft.

They agreed to look into the transfer of the building to a trust.

Coun Wendy Eve said: "A charitable trust may be able access grants that we can't. But there is a danger that it might become reliant on donations."

Councillors agreed new town hall charges for the next year.

They were told the building had been given the go-ahead as a venue for civil weddings and that the first wedding would take place on Valentine's Day.