A ring of steel is to be thrown up around one of the county's best-loved entertainment venues after it closed its doors to the public.

It was announced last year that Margate's Winter Gardens was suspending all bookings from this month and will temporarily shut as a review of its future was conducted.

Owned by Thanet District Council, the venue had been leased to local company Your Leisure to handle its management since November 2019.

But the authority has now taken full control of the Winter Gardens - bringing to an end the latest chapter in the Grade II-listed building's long history.

The venue boasts a 2,000-capacity main arena and a second space for 600.

In addition to attracting big name stars, it also hosts a variety of community events - as well as election counts.

But it has been losing significant money over recent years - as well as being hit hard by the enforced closure ushered in by the pandemic.

It was generating revenues of around £1.3m in the years prior to lockdown but losing anything between £105,000-275,000 in the process.

The financial year ending March 2021 saw the Covid shutdown leave it with losses of £300,000.

While all options are being considered for the site - which the authority admits "requires significant investment and repair" - the site has been closed.

Thanet District Council says in order to protect and preserve the Winter Gardens during this phase, temporary security screening will be installed on the building and fencing put in place.

Additional security measures will include daily patrols, internal inspections and CCTV.

Many locals have feared the venue could be sold off or even demolished by the cash-strapped council. But the local authority continues to insist its current, temporary, closure only "marks the next phase for the much-loved venue".

Adding: "The Winter Gardens has an impressive past and we are confident of its potential for a significant and flourishing future at the heart of Thanet’s already thriving mix of culture, heritage and tourism."

The authority is likely to want to court possible operators who could not only bring investment to the building - which has hosted the likes of The Beatles, Blur, Laurel & Hardy and Morecambe and Wise over the years - but shape its future to allow the town's revival to get another boost.

Cllr Ash Ashbee, leader of Thanet District Council said: “Now that the Winter Gardens is back under council management, we can start to determine the best future for the venue.

"We need to understand what is commercially viable in the building alongside public engagement to ensure that we hear from the community as part of this process.

“Everything that we are doing is with the best interests of the Winter Gardens as the foundation. We are confident that the Winter Gardens has a fully viable future ahead.”

Speaking to KentOnline last year, Mark Perris, the authority's director of property vowed "all our energy and focus going on saving the building; the council retaining ownership and getting an operator in there".

However, he added the authority had "ruled nothing out" during the period of review.

Among those backing the campaign for the Winter Gardens to be restored to its former glory is comedian Jason Manford.

Shortly after performing at the venue, the former 8 Out of 10 Cats panellist tweeted: "I hope somebody buys it! It’s a cracking venue".