SATURDAY night fever could become a distant memory if an illuminated Seventies-style dance floor is removed from a Yarm pub.

The multicoloured dance floor at the New Cross Keys could be taken away during a forthcoming refurbishment of the pub's upper floor.

But some dancers are stamping their feet over the plan and are campaigning to save it.

Manager Jason Moran told the D&S Times the dance floor was difficult to maintain - spilt drinks could fuse its flashing bulbs and neon tubes.

However, he said pieces of it might be incorporated into the new interior.

Discos have been held at the pub for years, attracting a broad clientele from those in their late teens to thirties - and even older.

Mr Moran said it was not a fashionable super-club for thousands- unlike some larger venues nearby.

"It's always been a slightly tongue-in-cheek kind of place but the dance floor is really hard to maintain," he said. "There aren't many of this type left and it's difficult to get electricians who know how to handle them."

The current disco, known as Club Keys, was extended in the mid-Eighties, but it is believed the dance floor was salvaged from another club.

The refurbishment of the New Cross Keys comes after it was bought by new Middlesbrough pub firm Mistell.

Ironically, the plan comes as Seventies' and Eighties' club nostalgia is on a high. Many venues run school disco themed events, where older groovers dance to the music of their youth.

The threatened dance floor and three dancing women are featured in a virtual tour of the New Cross Keys, which is available on the Yarm pubs' web site at www.yarmpubs.co.uk.