A POPULAR tourist attraction is closing over the Bank Holiday to allow for essential maintenance work.

Sunderland's Winter Gardens needs work doing after one of the two-metre aluminium strips that hide wiring in the steel rotunda fell off into the plants below.

A contractor has been commissioned to carry out checks and repairs to make sure all the other strips are safely secured.

The adjoining museum, Eden caf, and the rest of the building will remain open. It is hoped that the repairs will be completed by early next week.

A spokesman for Tyne and Wear Museums and Sunderland council said: "We regret this temporary closure and apologise for any inconvenience to visitors."

Traditional jazz artists Savoy Jazz will entertain visitors in the bandstand, near the museum in Mowbray Park, today from 1.30 until 3.30pm.