EAST Lancashire MPs led by Janet Anderson are urging the government and people to back a £3million appeal to set up a British memorial garden near Ground Zero.

Burnley's Peter Pike, Hyndburn's Greg Pope and Ribble Valley's Nigel Evans have all backed a House of Commons Motion supporting the proposal.

The British Memorial Garden Trust wants to create the memorial in Hanover Square near the site of the terror atrocity which killed around 3,000 people including 67 Britons.

The move is backed by former Nato Secretary Generals Lord Carrington, Lord Robertson as well as US Ambassador to Britain William Farish and former British Ambassador to Washington Sir Christopher Muier.

The four MPs are among 153 from all parties to support the garden which would be designed by British artist Anish Kepoor and include products from the Prince of Wales's garden at Highgrove.

Rossendale and Darwen MP Mrs Anderson, a former tourism minister, said: "I just think it is appropriate to have a memorial on behalf of Britain to remind people of the appalling loss of life from terrorism on September 11, 2001.

"It is particularly appropriate in view of the number of Britons who died in that tragedy."