An arts venue has been closed over safety fears after masonry fell from its historic steeple.
Websters Theatre, which also features a restaurant and bar, opened in the west end of Glasgow in 2014.
The centre is based in the former Lansdowne parish church on Great Western Road. It is one of the city’s finest gothic revival structures with a famous 218ft spire, one of the narrowest in Europe, which was designed by John Honeyman in 1863.
It has been closed by building control inspectors. The decision was taken after a lump of masonry fell from the spire.
An inspection is being carried out and it is feared the venue will be forced to remain closed until late November. It could be longer if serious structural problems are found.
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A lump of stone became dislodged from the spire in bad weather and landed close to a fire exit last Thursday.
Andy McCartney, the venue’s operations director, confirmed that the incident had forced them to close the venue, whose bar and bistro recently celebrated its first anniversary.
He said: “The masonry that fell was roughly the size of a fist. It shattered when it landed on the ground. Building control explained to us that for safety reasons we couldn’t trade and would have to close. There’s an inspection going on just now from an aerial platform.”
No one was injured in the incident.
Mr McCartney confirmed that the venue’s future was dependent on the results of the examination. He said: “We have built up a good trade and become very popular with local residents and want to reopen as soon as possible. Our pantomime begins at the end of November, so we are looking to at least be open for that. We will have a clearer picture once we know what repairs will have to be carried out.”
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The arts centre is named after Alf Webster who designed the church’s stained glass windows.