A popular community theatre company which had its funding cut by Bradford Council is hoping to return as an independent business.

Twisting Yarn, the education arm of Bradford Theatres, has been in limbo since the Council withdrew funding of £114,000 in March.

The decision provoked anger from schoolchildren, 300 of whom put their names to a petition calling for the company to be saved.

Keith Robinson, artistic director for Twisting Yarn, said: "Conservative Councillors made it plain the decision has been made and there is no going back, despite some of them saying they have never received so many emails and letters about anything.

"So Su, the administrator, and I are waiting for our redundancy notices - and we have been lumped into part of the larger redundancy negotiations Bradford Council is intending to make.

"In the meantime, we are going ahead with our annual summer youth theatre project LOADED' - which is externally funded - on the subject of gun crime.

"Once we have been made redundant, we are looking at ways of recreating the company as an independent company, and we are working with Education Bradford to see if schools will buy into this."

High-profile supporters of Twisting Yarn include Canadian author Yann Martel, who scooped the Booker Prize in 2002 for his novel Life of Pi, which was adapted to the stage by Twisting Yarn, who also took the production on tour.

Mr Martel wrote to the Council urging it to reinstate Twisting Yarn's budget, saying: "Bradford was put on the map for me - a Canadian writer living thousands of miles from you - because of the play.

"Bradford will be remembered by all the children in the cities where Life of Pi is touring. Don't discount the effect of this."