CINDERS may not be able to go to the ball after a fire that destroyed part of a Titchfield Community Centre.

The Mill Lane centre's annual panto - held every year in February - is under threat if fire damage cannot be fixed.

This year it is Cinderella, and the amateur cast has been rehearsing for the show since October.

A question mark also hangs over the future of centre's celebrated annual art show, after the display boards were destroyed in the blaze.

Manager Dinah Lloyd said the fire started at around 4am on Tuesday in bins outside the building and the flames quickly spread to the backstage area.

She said: "The passage behind the stage was completely gutted by the fire. Almost everything stored there was destroyed, including around 30 of the large display boards we use for the art show.

"During the panto the actors use the passage to get from one side of the stage to the other without being seen by the audience."

Ms Lloyd is urging Fareham council, which owns the lease on the building, to carry out immediate repairs on the building's structure so that the centre can start replacing lost items and repairing inside.

She has estimated the total cost, to the centre, of repairs at around £3,000.

She said: "We need to have this building back by February 8. If Fareham council can do the building renovations by then we can have a passage the actors can use during rehearsals.

"The fire is a real blow. Although we can still use the main hall, the area behind the stage is absolutely disgusting."

Police have not ruled out arson as a possible cause of the fire, and are urging witnesses to ring with information on 0845 045 4545.