A FORMER international roller hockey player has urged a struggling rink's landlord to "embrace" the 32-year-old venue before it is "forced into closure".

Colchester's Rollerworld, a fixture in the borough for decades, has revealed it could shut for good on November 30 over a dispute with its landlord over rent costs.

Faye Wilson, who competed for England at roller hockey, started skating at Rollerworld at the age of 12.

She said: "I was invited to a school party and assumed I would be the only person who could not skate.

"My dad took me to the Sunday evening lessons, which still successfully still run today.

"From those lessons I passed the six figure skating grades and competed in a group competition with Phillip Norton, who still teaches at the rink."

Faye went on to win one of only 20 places in the England Roller Hockey Squad at a World Championship event.

She credits Rollerworld with making her dream a reality.

"None of this would have happened without Rollerworld or the people I met within it," she said.

"I travelled the country and the world, and I can confirm I never found a venue that remotely compares to the facilities within Rollerworld.

"My love for skating enabled me to meet many lifelong friends and it is a venue where many of our family celebrations have been held from numerous birthdays, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve parties and Halloween to name a few."

Rollerworld was recently made an asset of community value by Colchester Council.

This means residents could technically club together and purchase the historic site, but only if Petchey Holdings decide to put it on the market.

Bosses at the council said they made the move because Rollerworld “furthers the social wellbeing and interests of the community and has done so for many years".

Addressing the landlords, Faye added: "Embrace this asset, take your friends and family.

"Would you honestly ever fill the building with another community of people who are as passionate and respectful about the bricks and mortar, or would you rather run the risk of it sitting empty or being knocked down?"

Bosses at Petchey Holdings previously told the Gazette they had been in negotiations with Rollerworld for more than two years.

They also said they had remained open for negotiations and previously offered terms for a new lease “below the market rate".