The Ritz in Brighouse set to re-open tonight

The Brighouse Ritz, which is used for ballroom dancing, live music and Northern Soul nights, announced in February that it had been contacted by lawyers from the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly who gave the owners until next week to stop using the name or face legal action.

A flood of support froom the general public, acts and an online petition has been set up to save the venue.

Owner Glenn Smith was forced to drop the name and remove all affiliation with the Ritz title from websites and social media.

Mr Smith said he could not comment on the legal position and that discussions were still taking place.

He took over the reins of the building on Bradford Road after it was put up for sale by the owners at the start of 2014.

After coming to the venue for 20 years he said once he found out that the Ritz was being sold, he decided to take it rather than see something else happen to it.

The Ritz dates back to 1937 when it opened as a cinema, the first in Brighouse. It closed in 1963 and re-opened as a bingo hall in 1965 before being bought in 1981, when it was refurbished and converted to a dance hall.