A CAMPAIGNER has set up a petition calling for Colchester's beloved old Odeon cinema to be brought "back from the brink".

Denis Harvey has already gathered more than 150 signatures for his petition, which calls for Colchester Council to bring the cherished Crouch Street building back into public use.

The building is dilapidated and long-mooted £10 million plans to turn the art deco premises, designed by cinema and theatre expert Cecil Massey, into 57 apartments have stalled due to financial woes.

Mr Harvey said: "Over the years people lose or forget important information about local buildings and their history.

"Cecil Massey was the designer of our cherished cinema and was also responsible for others being built around the country. Some have had a better life than ours and have been refurbished back to their former glory.

"We need to do the same with ours, it is part of our heritage and a beautiful old building in its own right.

"It is intrinsically still a sound building but needs a lot of superficial restoration inside and out."

The old Odeon has been empty since the cinema closed more than 18-years-ago.

Existing owner Blumarble has twice been ordered to tidy up the derelict premises by Colchester Council, which has issued it with Section 215 orders, the latest of which expires on April 24.

After this date, Colchester Council could choose to prosecute the firm if any of the scheduled works to improve the area have not been completed.

Mr Harvey continued: "The building has the support of many of our town's folk, who want to see it brought back into use as a public music venue and that should be the council's aim - to give the people of Colchester their tired old cinema a new lease of life to go on to entertain a whole new generation of people for many years to come.

"The last time there was a petition to save the frontage of the building there was well over 1,200 people signed the petition, this petition is to save the whole of the building and bring it back from the brink."

Mr Harvey has also set up a Facebook page where he is sharing snippets showing the iconic building's colourful history.

Visit https://bit.ly/3bjke1n or sign the petition at https://bit.ly/3baI0fU.