EMERGENCY measures are being taken to make sure that refreshments are kept on the menu for visitors at Eastleigh's prestigious arts and dance centre.

The council has had to move fast after caterer Corporate Cuisine, who had been running the restaurant facility since September 1999, suddenly signalled a decision to pull out of The Point.

Heading towards the busy Christmas period, The Point, which stages popular theatre suppers among its wide programme, faced the prospect of telling theatre-goers that food and drink was unavailable.

And there was very little time to negotiate a contract with a new operator.

Not being able to provide refreshments for The Point's customers would have taken the sparkle out of the centre's festive events.

Now the council is playing Santa Claus and making sure that The Point will still be serving a culinary fare by taking the catering under its wing.

Last night, the council's executive cabinet endorsed the management team decision to start a temporary in-house catering operation at The Point from Thursday.

Before the councillors was a report by deputy chief executive Chris Reed who said continuing catering facilities at The Point was essential to the success of the whole operation.

He said: "Customers expect pre-performance and interval refreshments to be available, and provision of catering throughout the day encourages a certain number of people into The Point which helps maintain a level of awareness about what is on offer."

Mr Reed said that the management team considered that the matter needed to be resolved as quickly as possible to ensure continuity of service.

As a matter of urgency, a decision was taken to trial an in-house operation.

"Ideally the catering operation will show a modest surplus which will help the overall financial position of The Point," said Mr Reed.

Councillor John Caldwell said: "Two outside caterers have come in and both have left."

Pointing out that the situation was not all that rosy, Mr Caldwell said: "Obviously caterers are not dumping us because they are making a lot of money."

He called for a report back in six months on the catering situation.

Council leader Keith House said he believed that increased promotion of the catering facility would get more people through the front door.