A CAMPAIGN to save Accrington Town Hall and Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre from "privatisation" has been bakced by a 650-name petition.

Hyndburn's Labour councillors and their partners kept their promise to stand outside the town hall on Saturday for four an a half hours, despite the strong winds and rain in protest at the move.

In that time they got hundreds of people to sign their petition to try and stop plans to hand over the two buildings to a Trust.

Deputy leader of the Labour group, Councillor David Myles, said: "We managed to get all those signatures in four and a half hours which works out at about one every 25 seconds. It was an awful day and blowing a gale and therefore there were not many people about in the town centre. So to get that many signatures shows just how strongly people feel about this.

"We will be putting forward a motion at the next full council meeting and we will be using that petition as leverage to get them to turn around on this decision. Even if they don't change their minds we will be asking people to vote Labour in the next election because we will guarantee the civic hall and town hall will be safe."

Earlier this month, Hyndburn Council's ruling Conservative group decided the two venues should be put into the hands of a Trust as the only way to make books balance.

A Turst would have access to grants and cash not available to the council.

Hyndburn's Leisure Services was placed in a similar trust several years ago which both political groups believe was the right decision.

But Labour councillors believe this kind of move should not be taken in respect of the town hall or civic theatre which are often used at a reduced rate by community and charity groups.