A youth cafe which opened in Liskeard just over two years ago, was faced with a shock closure on Wednesday, after a visit from fire safety officers.

The club had opened at 5pm with a number of the regular youngsters having already turned up, but by 5.30pm the doors had been closed for good. Now the volunteer organisers are faced with finding alternative premises for the 50 plus young people for whom it has become a popular meeting place.

Known as Against The Flow, the cafe operated from rented premises in Lower Lux Street, and was a registered charity, with much of its funding coming from members of various churches from within the town, and from Grace Church, Morval.

A fire safety officer had called at the premises on Tuesday, having been invited by the cafe's volunteer manager, Steve Piper. A youth group from the Ashford Christian Fellowship in Kent, visiting Liskeard for the week, had helped to decorate an additional back room, and Mr Piper had wanted the all clear from the officer before allowing any youngsters to go in there.

However, the officer returned again on Wednesday with a superior, and after another inspection delivered the devastating blow that the cafe needed many additional measures before it was safe enough to continue.

'These measures would have cost us thousands of pounds not hundreds' said Mr Piper. 'The decision was taken to close immediately. The safety of the young people is paramount'.

That evening the Kent Group had planned to hold a live outreach on The Parade for about an hour, with the intention of going back to the cafe afterwards, but instead, more than 100 youngsters from the town, enjoying the event, continued on until about 10pm.

Rev Philip Warne, a cafe trustee, said there was a definite need for a young people's cafe to continue in the town. 'We are now desperately seeking alternative accommodation to rent, or even buy.'