Liverpool's National Conservation Centre will close its doors to the public on 17 December as a result of government spending cuts, it has been announced.

National Museums Liverpool (NML) has confirmed that it can no longer afford to keep the attraction open in light of a 15 per cent budget reduction announced in October. It follows a 3.5 per cent cut made earlier in the year and has left NML unable to operate it as a visitor attraction. However, it will continue to house conservation work.

Further more, the organisation has confirmed that Sudley House and Piermaster's House at Albert Dock, which had been under threat, will remain open to the public. NML director Dr David Fleming said: "We said that a 15 per cent reduction in our funding would have grave implications for us being able to maintain our world class museums and galleries.

"We are now seeing the impact in terms of a venue closure, following the loss of a number of posts through a voluntary severance scheme."