A NORTH Yorkshire theatre is one of 49 theatre buildings across the UK at real risk of being lost forever, according to a theatres group.

The Theatres Trust warned that unless owners recognised they were responsible for community assets and worked with trusts and local communities to secure their future, theatres like the Scarborough Futurist could be in danger.

Under the Localism Act in November 2011 local authorities now have to prepare lists of assets of community value, which include cultural interests such as theatres.

Mhora Samuel, director of The Theatres Trust, said the hope now was that the Futurist could be saved from dereliction and removed from the at-risk register.