Paintings and silver may have to be sold in a bid to keep a town hall running.

Arundel Town Council leaders say the historic building is too costly to run without a major cash injection.

It has been turned into council offices and a community building since its use as a magistrates' court ended in December 2001.

At a meeting tonight of the town hall working committee, councillors will be told they need to think about the building's future management to relieve the financial burden on taxpayers.

It is estimated the hall costs around £25,000 a year to run.

A report to councillors sets out seven options, including selling off all or part of the town hall, letting it or transferring it to a trust.

Another option is to make copies of valuable paintings and silver and sell off the originals, similar to a scheme undertaken by Chichester councillors several years ago.

Paintings include a portrait of Henry 15th Duke of Norfolk who was mayor in 1902 and presented the mayoral chain to the borough.

There is also a large portrait of Arthur Atherley, mayor when the town hall was built in 1836, numerous paintings of past mayors and some large rural paintings given by Major Guy Constable, also a former mayor.

Councillors will be told a similar argument might also exist for silver owned by the council and rarely on show.

Anne Harriott, chairman of the town hall working party, said it would be looking at all options before any decision was made.

Some of these she said were "radical" but all options needed to be ruled in at this stage.

She said: "I would stress however that these are only options.

"It could well be that all the options are thrown out."

The report advises that if councillors do decide the only option is to sell off the town hall, the proposal should go out to public consultation and a parish poll should be held.