The crisis-hit West Mid Show could be handed a lifeline by Shropshire Council.

Officials from the unitary authority will meet with representatives from the West Midlands Agricultural Society this week to discuss the council taking on the liability of the lease.

But council leader Keith Barrow said although officials were prepared to take on the liability for the West Mid Showground in Shrewsbury they were not prepared to pledge large amounts of public money to it.

The society currently has debts of about £260,000.

He said: “We have offered to take on the liability of the lease.

“We might give it back to the committee or keep hold of it.

“It will give them some stability but the show has to stand on its own two feet.

“We won’t pool mounds of public money into it – we haven’t got huge amounts of public money anyway – but it has to be economically sound.”

If the council was to take on liability for the lease it would be responsible if financial commitments were not met.

Councillor Barrow said he would this week meet show trustee Roy Dodd, who has put together a business plan for the Shropshire and West Midlands Agricultural Society, which runs the show.

Mr Dodd has said a new show will have the theme “from farm to table” and feature livestock, local produce, food and drink as well as having a strong equine presence.

Society members threw out a proposal last month to wind up the company and instead backed a rescue plan to create a new revitalised event, called The Shropshire Show.

They voted to create a company voluntary arrangement, which would see creditors asked to agree to a delayed repayment of the debt over several years.

Councillor Barrow said: “The new committee has really good ideas and I am hopeful they will make a real success of it.

“We’ve been helping them with administration and maintenance and we are very supportive.

“We think they’ll do a good job.”