UNCERTAINTY still looms over the future of Worcestershire's County Museum, despite the ending of a four-month investigation into its future.

The report was being finalised today before going forward for consideration by the cabinet at its meeting on Thursday, July 15 with backbench county councillors highlighting two options - closure or investment - but as yet, refusing to fully endorse either plan.

The authority's resources scrutiny panel was asked by cabinet members in February to look into the future of the museum, based at Hartlebury Castle, near Kidderminster, after they withdrew £375,000 funding.

A draft final report by the panel has dismissed total relocation but councillors have hit a brick wall in reaching a preferred proposal and have instead outlined two possibilities for the cabinet to consider.

The first would see Hartlebury close by September with services being run from a resource centre close to Worcester.

However, panel members are reluctant to sound the death knell of the county museum after they were impressed by the popularity of the attraction which plays an "important educational role" - it hosts around six school trips every week and pupils make up half of visitor figures.

Option two would see £469,000 worth of building work carried out to comply with disability discrimination laws and improve the caf. An extra £489,000 would be ploughed into enhancing the exhibitions and storage.

The report says around half of the group support keeping Hartlebury open. Some even back the idea of doing more to promote it, including dropping the name "museum" which "could deter" visitors.

Coun Adrian Hardman, the cabinet member for resources, sounded downbeat on the museum's future.

"There is this attachment to Hartlebury which I can quite understand because it's a jolly nice stately home. But is the county council in the business of running stately homes?" he said.

"I think if you're looking in the longer term you'd be better off running an integrated service within the district."