Middleton is considered a science success

Trustees of the �43m gardens site at Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire, west Wales, want a further �300,000 to see them through the financial year or else face calling in the receivers.

The garden - opened in May 2000 by Prince Charles - has already had �1.4m of assembly cash this year to ease its costs and fund a marketing drive.

But this money runs out on Tuesday and discussions last night for extra money broke up without a commitment from assembly ministers to ensure the site, considered an icon of modern Wales, is not put into administration.

'No permanent subsidy'

Mr Morgan has said there can be no question of taxpayer's cash being used to keep Middleton's doors open.

In a statement he said: "The garden's finances were never based on a permanent assembly subsidy.

"It has always been an independent body run by independent trustees and would never have received Millennium Commission funding in the first place had it been a government project.

"It will be very disappointing for all concerned if the gardens have to close, and we have therefore been, and will continue, to work closely with the trustees in a final effort to find a strong partner to safeguard the garden."

Middleton trustees are expected to issue a statement on Tuesday but last night a spokesman for Middleton was adamant there was no prospect of the site closing its doors after little more than three years in operation.

Chief executive Evelyn Selby said her major concern was the threat to 100 jobs at the garden and that the board would meet again on Thursday after asking the assembly for further information about help.

Visitor numbers fall

Carmarthenshire County Council issued a statement saying it was "very disappointed that this national facility could be shut down".

Council leader Meryl Gravell said: "As a board we have done everything asked of us by the assembly to secure the future of the gardens."

Plaid Cymru called on the assembly government to step in to help Middleton.

Middleton, then known at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, attracted 225,000 people in its first year, but by March 2003 visitor numbers had fallen to 142,000.

Last spring it changed its name, calling itself simply Middleton, with the assembly government picking up the tab for the publicity campaign.

Research programme

The cash followed on from �360,000 from the assembly last year.

Last July, the site received a further �600,000 in a Lottery grant.

But the cash injections have not helped it to achieve hopes that it would attract 250,000 visitors each year.

Despite this, Middleton has been heralded as a design and scientific success story.

It took three years to create and boasts the largest single span glasshouse in the world, designed by Sir Norman Foster.

Annual subsidy call

The glasshouse features plants from the five Mediterranean-climate areas of world.

In addition to its educational work, the site also has a respected research programme - last year scientists collected seed for plant which was thought to have been extinct in Wales for 50 years.

In February 2001, the Institute of Welsh Affairs called for Middleton to have an annual subsidy for its research work.

It claimed Middleton's equivalent in Scotland has a subsidy of more than �5m.