THE new owners of the former Blairhall Community Centre have helped save a dance school from closure – and the result is set to be featured on a hit TV show.

Dance teacher Lorraine Taggart Bristow (25) has around 100 pupils and feared she would have to shut her studio in Main Street, Crombie, due to problems with planning permission.

But thanks to a stroke of luck, Lorraine and husband Stephen (28) discovered that 124 Rintoul Avenue in Blairhall – the village’s old community centre – was under new ownership after being snapped up at auction.

They approached the new proprietors to see if they would lease it out – and now, not only does the Lorraine Taggart School of Dance have a new home, the revamped centre will also be featured on BBC’s ‘Homes Under the Hammer’.

Stephen explained, “It used to be a commercial building and has been used as a warehouse and motorcycle garage.

“But now it’s been done up and the transformation has been phenomenal.

“If this building had not been available, I don’t know what we would have done.

“The main focus was the kids – the dance school saves them hanging about parks and streets, and they do a lot of fund-raising events as well.” The mystery new owner has not come forward but Stephen added, “It was a relief that he was kind enough to do this and let us use it.

“He’s done it all up and we’ve been in putting up mirrors and ballet bars and photographs.” West Fifers are invited to the dance school’s open day on Sunday (tomorrow) from noon-4pm.

Lorraine added, “It’s a huge relief and a weight off my shoulders. I was panicking and thought I would have to let the kids down because there was nowhere for them to go.

“The owner was going to keep the building for his own use but he was quite happy to lease it to us. It’s very exciting – the feedback is that it’s a great facility and now Blairhall children can come too.

“It’s only a couple of minutes up the road from Crombie and people are happy to travel that distance.”