London - British government ministers were warned that the cost of shutting the Millennium Dome could run to more than £100 million before they backed giving new money to the crisis-hit attraction, it emerged last night.
As Labour MPs lined up to criticise the Millennium Commission for injecting a further £29 million into the dome, senior sources said the cost of closure, between £100 million and £200 million, was a key factor in the decision. The commission is chaired by the Culture Secretary, Mr Chris Smith.