Thousands of people have backed a campaign by the Edinburgh Evening News to save one of the city's most celebrated music venues.

Readers have flooded the paper with e-mails and letters calling for the Queen's Hall to be saved from closure, as well as signing campaign coupons and an online petition.

All the messages of support will be forwarded to Edinburgh's cultural leader, councillor Ricky Henderson.

More than 1,500 signatures were collected in the first few weeks of the campaign, and many more are currently being collected during the Edinburgh Festival.

The Evening News launched its campaign after council chiefs and the Scottish Arts Council said that plans for a new concert hall on the waterfront may mean the end of public funding for the Queen's Hall, which has hosted acts such as Pulp, Travis, Jools Holland and Ocean Colour Scene.

Adrian Harris, chief executive of the Queen's Hall, told the paper: "It is wonderful that so many people have responded to this, I'm delighted to hear about it.

"It is more proof of what we already knew - that the Queen's Hall has a special relationship with audiences and people in the city hold a real affection for it.

"A lot of people have heard of the possibility of us closing and been in touch and we have now been able to direct them to the Evening News and its website - that focused response has really helped.