A fair held to raise funds for a village hall had to be held under canvas when insurers withdrew their cover -- because the existing hall was unsafe.

Hall committee members Sally Lloyd and Peter Cook

Customers shopped in an old army and scout tent because the floor of the building in West Hendred, near Wantage, was ruled off-limits for the event, which raised about £1,000 on December 8.

The village needs about £250,000 for new premises and has been promised £50,000 in grants.

But no-one will pay for a new floor to be laid in the old building, which dates back to 1911.

The village hall committee said it had expected insurance would not be renewed in February, but sought specialist advice early because of the intense use the floor would receive during the Christmas fair.

Even with extra wood added to the edges, the surface was in such a bad condition that the committee would have been personally liable for any injuries suffered.

Committee chairman Peter Cook said: "We have been helped enormously by local funds -- local people, the parish council, district council and county council -- but we need much more than that, we need government funds.

"No funds are available except from the Lottery, for whom this is not a high priority. This means funding village halls really is a lottery."

The committee has sent off applications for further grants.

If these bids are unsuccessful, it may have to close the existing building or build a cheaper new one.

The committee heard on December 16 that Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd (WREN), which uses landfill credits to back projects, had agreed to a grant of £50,000, but the cash will depend on match funding from the Lottery.