ATTENDANCES at The Forum in Barrow have rocketed during the last year, according to newly-released figures.

The number of people attending events at the Barrow council venue climbed to 46,000 in the nine months between April to December 2018.

That represents an 18,000 leap on the 27,757 the box office recorded for the 12 months between April 2017 to March 2018.

The bumper 46,000 figure is expected to soar further as attendances at the venue for January, February and March 2019 have yet to be added to the yearly total for April 2018-March 2019.

Phil Huck, the executive director for Barrow Council, welcomed the soaring performance and said it showed a “significant” increase of people being drawn to the council-run entertainments centre.

Mr Huck said:  “The Forum attendances have gone up from 27,000 to 46,000 which is a significant increase in attendance and largely down to a very good programme of events.”

The new statistics were welcomed by Cllr Helen Wall, Barrow Council’s spokeswoman for wildlife, heritage and culture, who called them “brilliant”.

She said: “This is brilliant news and justifies the faith that a group of Labour councillors had in The Forum staff when there was a danger the venue was possibly going to be outsourced.

“The team has years of experience in bringing shows that people will like and they know what their local audiences want.

“These very good figures imply that they are attracting  new customers as well as keeping the regulars happy.”

She added: “The Forum is a vital part of Barrow’s leisure time and all ages are catered for. I’m just gutted I couldn’t get to see Hue and Cry on Saturday.”

The Scottish pop brothers, Pat and Greg Kane played at the Duke Street venue at the weekend.

Earlier this month, The Forum’s choice of acts was at the centre of a controversy.

Independent Barrow MP John Woodcock called on the venue to pull the plug on a string of stand-up gigs by Roy “Chubby” Brown after a constituent with disabilities complained about being targeted at a previous show.

The notorious North East comic, aged 74, hit back by calling his critics “snowflakes” and sold out all his shows at the town centre venue.