THERE appears to be trouble at mill - the Baltic Mill that is - and tonight a BBC television programme will attempt to show how the costly art centre is losing money needlessly.

The BBC1 programme Inside Out, which will be screened at 7.30m, will highlight how a failure in some instances to draw up proper contracts on commissions is leaving the centre out of pocket.

The investigative programme will particularly focus on a commission the Baltic awarded to American artist Chris Burdon for a replica of the Tyne Bridge.

The deal cost the Baltic £100,000, but the programme will claim that because a properly worded contract was not drawn up at the time, it has now been sold on with no recompense to the Baltic.

Despite being told by a representative of the Arts Council that the work was "for sale" but had not been sold, the programme was able to establish it had in fact been purchased by the Luis Vuitton fashion house in Paris, two year ago, for £400,000.

The Baltic, says the programme, should have been in a position to claim back a substantial sum on the sale but so far had not clawed back a penny.

Other criticisms made of the towering centre which dominates the Gateshead side of the Tyne, will concentrate on some of its "lack lustre" exhibitions and difficulties in just buying a drink at its up market restaurant bar.