There will be staff and animal cuts at Witney's Cogges Farm Museum — despite record numbers of visitors this year and plans to bring in help.

Some staff have been told they will be made redundant and all the farm animals are being moved out — some for the winter, many for good.

Oxfordshire County Council, which owns and runs the venue, has also decided the 2009 season will only last from April to August, two months fewer than this year.

The news comes as the council considers three bids to become a commercial partner for the museum.

But it has committed itself to funding cutbacks to wipe out losses of £750,000 in three years.

The move was decided earlier this year after more than 1,600 people signed petitions against the possible closure of the museum.

The staffing and visiting time cuts fit into the programme of removing £80,000 per year from the losses, said county spokesman Paul Smith.

He added: "It is a scaled-down operation at Cogges, that's what we decided.

"It is, however, impossible to say whether the new entity that takes over will stick to that."

The three bids, including one from a Witney-based community enterprise group, go before a high-level meeting on November 25.

Before that the public has its chance to have its say at a meeting in St Mary's Church, Cogges, on November 4, starting at 8pm.

Staff at the museum have been told to prepare a programme for next year, providing a variety of events and activities.

A staff member, who did not want to be named, said: "Our visitor figures are well up this year, so we just can't understand why the season is being shortened by two months next year.

"It is very depressing actually. We know it's to save money.

"Three staff have been given redundancy dates in December.

"There will only be three of us left."

Last year the museum had about 25,000 visitors.

This year, despite poor summer weather, there was a 50 per cent increase.

The museum closes on November 2, reopening only for an Advent activity weekend on December 6 and 7.

Next year, the season will be from Easter to August 31.

David Bond, acting chairman of Cogges Farm Museum Trust, said: "Nobody knows what is going to be decided for the future. We don't yet know the plot, or how much time is going to be needed in 2009, even 2010, to turn the ship round."