WORCESTER'S 130-year-old cricket pavilion is set to be demolished.

The Listed Building status that Worcester City Council desperately needed to save the building has been refused and it is only a matter of time before the black-and-white wooden building is destroyed.

The decision will be a massive blow to the 96 per cent of readers who phoned our poll asking for the building to be saved as part of our heritage.

The building, on the Cinderella Ground in Bransford Road, was bought by SJS Property Management Limited in 2003 as part of the former Kays site and now wants to demolish it to make way for new housing.

It was built to house Worcestershire County Cricket Club in 1876 before it moved to New Road and the ground has hosted players such as WG Grace. A statement released by the planning and development director of SJS Property Management Limited Chris Hall said: "The building was condemned by Worcester City Council itself in 2005 and acting on a report by English Heritage, the Secretary of State has decided that the building does not have sufficient special interest in a national context to merit listing.

"Our decision to demolish it was taken after our own detailed surveys revealed major structural defects, including the presence of asbestos. Recognising the sentiments about its history that have been expressed locally we have commissioned a full measured survey report for historical purposes, detailing the building and its original construction and this will be offered to the city's archives.

"The pavilion clock, which is of some interest, will be offered to the city museum."

The cricket and sports field, on which the pavilion stands, will not be touched and will continue to be run by Littlewoods Shop Direct Sports and Social Club.

A spokeswoman from Worcester City Council said: "We have served a Building Preservation Notice, which means that the building cannot be knocked down for six months. We applied for Listed status in February and the decision not to grant it was made very recently. We are appealing against the decision and have contacted English Heritage."