Visitor numbers at The Beaney have fallen by more than 30,000 in the past year alone.

The city centre museum, which underwent a £14 million refurbishment five years ago, was a long way from achieving its annual target of drawing in 356,000 people.

But the city council says the decrease is due to it being closed on Mondays - its least popular day - to save money.

The dramatic drop in visitors comes as a little surprise to former Natural History Museum curator Dick Vane-Wright. “When it was re-done, the museum was beautifully designed in a very attractive way,” he said.

“But the content is not coherent - they missed a good opportunity as it has no clear message.

“The Beaney has a jumbled selection of items - it’s more like a celebration of lots of pieces displayed in a way which would be an interior designer’s dream.”

Of the venue’s 297,000 visitors, 54% are from the district.

The Beaney is home to The Canterbury Cross, a mummified cat and the original Bagpuss, but its exterior is currently covered with scaffolding while workers fix a number of loose stones.

Mr Vane-Wright, who retired from his post as head of the insect section at the London museum in 2004, added: “Had I been director I would have done it differently. There needs to be a focus at museums and, in my opinion, The Beaney doesn’t have that.

"It needs to be much more bold, challenging and opinion-forming but still informative - the way they have set it up is a mistake.

“People don’t visit museums often any more so they have to think of new ways to reinvent themselves. I have every sympathy with them.”

Following the closure of The Canterbury Heritage Museum last autumn and 31,000 fewer people walking through the doors of The Beaney, the number of visits to city museums fell 61,000 people shy of the 385,000 target.

Despite this, The Roman Museum exceeded its target by drawing in 19,800 people.

City council spokesman Leo Whitlock says: “The fall in visitor numbers has been limited to less than 10% when we have opened it for 15% fewer hours which is incredibly pleasing.

“The team from the museum is taking its work out of the galleries and into the community, for example, engaging with every primary school in the district as part of its Adopt An Object scheme.”

Mr Whitlock says the council is looking at ways to reach new audiences through special events, including for Halloween.