National museum shuts for maintenance work
BBCWales' leading museum has been temporarily closed due to maintenance work and safety concerns.
A sign outside the National Museum in Cathays Park, Cardiff, on Sunday, said it will be closed to the public until further notice.
In a statement, Amgueddfa Cymru said it has made a "difficult decision" but it expects the situation to be resolved in the next few days.
The closure comes nine months after Wales' Culture Secretary assured the historic building would remain open, despite concerns from the museum's director over its deteriorating condition.
The Welsh government said it had provided additional funding to "ensure Wales' cultural organisations are protected and preserved".
The National Museum in Cardiff is one of seven museums across Wales, all managed by Amgueddfa Cymru.
In April, the organisation announced it was going to axe at least 90 jobs after its annual funding from Welsh government was cut by £3m.
The body stated that, due to a recurring annual deficit of £1.5m, it must address a total deficit of £4.5m by the end of March 2025.
This led to Jane Richardson, the museum's chief executive, raising her concerns that the historic building may be forced to close due to its "deteriorating condition".
In July, following the announcement, Welsh government announced a £3.2m repair package for work to be carried out at the National Museum in Cardiff and the National Library in Aberystwyth.
Kate Eden, chairwoman of Amgueddfa Cymru, said the money "won't go far enough" to fix the "building's leaky roof".
Despite reassurances from Wales' Culture Secretary, Lesley Griffiths, that the 'iconic' museum would stay open, a sign outside on Sunday clearly stated it had closed.
In a statement, Amgueddfa Cymru said due to immediate maintenance work, it has made a "difficult decision" to close the building to the public for a short period.
"We can confirm there is no immediate risk to staff, volunteers, visitors, or collections."
It added that the incident related to a mechanical issue in an area of the building.
A total of £1.3m was allocated this year for urgent works to be carried out at the museum.
The Welsh government said a further £3.7m has been included in the draft budget for 2025-26.
Plaid Cymru's culture spokesperson Heledd Fychan said the news was "hugely concerning... especially after all the warnings we heard last year about the backlog of maintenance because of a lack of investment and cuts by the Welsh Government".
Welsh Conservative MS Andrew RT Davies said it was "deeply concerning".
He said: "The museum brings many people into Cardiff and is an important attraction. Labour Senedd ministers must urgently outline the steps they are taking to ensure it reopens to the public as soon as possible."