Connie Fisher won awards for the West End show Sound of Music

Milford Haven councillors have voted to cut a grant to the town's Torch Theatre - which it is claimed "jeopardises" �120,000 Arts Council of Wales funding.

The Arts Council said it would urge councillors to "reconsider".

Fisher has won a string of awards since winning the BBC talent show How do you solve a problem like Maria?

The Torch Theatre - Pembrokeshire's only professional theatre - is currently undergoing a �5m redevelopment that includes a new art gallery, cinema and dance studio.

Fisher, from Haycastle near Haverfordwest, was a member of the Torch's youth theatre group as a teenager and made her professional stage debut there in a production of Aladdin in 2005.

We will be urgently contacting the town council and asking them to reconsider Peter Tyndall, Arts Council

Theatre director Peter Doran said: "About two years ago the Arts Council of Wales gave us some extra funding - this year it is �120,000 and next year its another �120,000 on condition the local authority do not withdraw their funding.

"Milford Town Council decided that they would withdraw 50% of their grant knowing that they would put this money in jeopardy.

"We are not talking about closure but we would have a brand new building and what's going inside would not warrant it - our programme would be reduced by more than 50%.

He said they were waiting for the decision of the Arts Council of Wales on their funding.

Milford Town Council contributes around �7,000 a year - half of the money is for local infant and junior school pupils to attend the Torch's Christmas pantomime

Christmas activities

Town council Tony Eden explained: "Unfortunately because of the �5m project they are unable to hold the pantomime this year."

He said it was decided the �3,500 would be distributed amongst the schools for Christmas activities instead.

"Councillors would not have voted that way if the theatre had been in financial difficulties but the Torch produced a statement of accounts to us that showed unrestricted reserves of �133,000," he added.

"If the Arts Council came and said we are withdrawing our grant it would certainly be discussed and I'm sure there would be a solution."

Chief executive of the Arts Council of Wales, Peter Tyndall, said: "The theatre is a major asset to the town and its residents and we believe this gesture is short-sighted.