Didcot may lose its town centre manager because of a funding crisis.

Former South Oxfordshire District Council housing manager Vic Clinch was appointed to the part-time post in 1995 to provide a link between councils and businesses by promoting and helping develop trade and commerce.

He is employed by the Didcot Development Agency, but there are fears the organisation could fold due to a cash crisis.

The agency was set up in 1993 by Didcot Town Council, along with the county and district councils, with support from businesses.

As a limited company, it is administered by trustees and has a membership of approximately 23 -- mostly businesses. Annual subscriptions range from £100-£1,000 depending on the number of employees.

The agency and Mr Clinch are focusing on improvements to the town centre after commissioning a report by the Civic Trust. Work is also under way on the town's new 16-acre Orchard Centre.

Since 1995, Didcot Power Stations through National Power, then RWE Innogy, has funded the post of town centre manager, but following a review of its grants to local organisations, RWE Innogy has ended its financial support.

Mike McNulty, founder chairman of the agency, said: "National Power and RWE Innogy have been extremely generous in their support of the agency and we could not expect them to continue paying the salary of the manager indefinitely."

Mr Clinch said: "I will be reporting to the trustees that unless the funding situation is resolved, the agency will no longer be able to employ a manager by the end of June.

Without funding for the manager's post, Mr McNulty said the agency would not be able to continue.

Some district councils in the UK fund town centre manager posts, and Didcot businesses and the town council have lobbied South Oxfordshire for financial support. But Mr McNulty, leader of the Labour group on the district council, said he was not optimistic that it would bale out the agency.