The light in the centre of the Hippodrome ceiling has been sold

Local residents trying to get the Wrexham Hippodrome listed discovered 1920s lights from it on an internet auction site.

The Edwardian building has been sold to Cheshire property developers, HMG, for retail space.

The company has denied asset stripping but said they did sell the lights at auction for charity.

Three art deco lights dating back to the 1920s have been posted on the internet site eBay and will be sold to the highest bidder.

What are they going to do next? Take down the curtains John Humberstone

Campaigner John Humberstone from Wrexham said he was "devastated" to see the artefacts for sale.

"What are they going to do next? Take down the curtains," he added.

"These lights have been in the cinema since the 1920s, they're very much part of the art deco part of the cinema.

"They're probably one of the most memorable things of the theatre," he added.

Jonathan Drake from HMG, which is based in Altrincham, Cheshire said the company had nothing to do with the lights being sold on the internet site e-Bay.

However, he admitted that the company did sell them for �2,000 at auction last Thursday and the money raised will go to a Wrexham charity.

He said the decision was made to sell the artefacts after copper piping from the Hippodrome was stolen and "we got clearance from Cadw that they weren't prepared to list it".

Nothing else has been removed from the building.

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However, the 1909 building could still be listed.

Wrexham Council's planning officers have been asked for a report into the building before they decide whether to ask Cadw to grant it Grade II listed status.

Campaigners hoping to save the Hippodrome argue that the town cannot lose its history and they want to turn the 95-year-old building into a media centre for the whole of the community.

At one time there were five music halls, or cinemas as they became, in Wrexham.

Famous artists including Ken Dodd, Gracie Fields and Arthur Askey have all appeared on the north Wales stage.

The Hippodrome was renovated in 1961 and was used as a cinema until 1989 when it closed.