BURY'S Met arts centre is in limbo after its top two managers quit.

Met director Alan Oatey is leaving his post after five-and-a-half years to take up a new job in Manchester.

This comes just two weeks after Mike Atkinson, front of house manager and de facto boss of the cafe/bar, announced his resignation.

Arts bosses admit they may have to ask for outside help to complete an autumn programme of events.

The news comes a fortnight after the Bury Times revealed that the Market Street centre had been ordered to pull up its socks. The North West Arts Board (NWAB) had criticised the Met's "weak" management and artistic policy.

Bury Metropolitan Arts Association, which is funded jointly by Bury Council and the NWAB, has drawn up a business plan for the next three years to tackle these areas.

Coun John Costello, BMAA chairman, said the NWAB report was more than a year old and it was "sheer coincidence" that Mr Oatey and Mr Atkinson were leaving now. "The Met probably deserved criticism at that time," he said. "There were weaknesses and we acknowledge that. I am happy that we put systems in place and that the board is in control of what's happening at the Met."

Coun Costello said he had been promised help from NWAB and the council if a replacement for Mr Oatey, who leaves next month, could not be found until September.

He said the Met had provisionally booked some acts for the autumn season and around 20 slots were still unfilled. But he promised that the programme would be full "even if I have to do one myself".

Mr Oatey said he was delighted to be taking up a new post as Manchester Festival Co-ordinator.

He said: "Over the last five years the Met has managed to reduce its deficit, increase the number of people using the service, reduce the cost of events and increase turnover.

"I am pleased to leave the Met in the position where it is popular with its many users and has greatly reduced its financial burden."

He added: "I hope that the Met will receive some serious capital support so that the facilities will be all that its users deserve."

Mr Atkinson is also officially due to leave next month, but has been off work for some time due to illness. He is to become a freelance event manager.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.