A FOOTWEAR worker who gave one shilling of his profit sharing to help raise funds to buy a memorial ground is disgusted that Rossendale Council can consider selling it.

An application has been made to buy part of Trickett's Memorial Ground on Burnley Road East by a resident of Thistlemount, who has leased the area for many years as a garden.

Workers at footwear factory Trickett's, at Gaghills, donated money from the profit-sharing to buy the land and make it into a memorial gardens for those workers from the factory who lost their lives in the First World War.

One of those employees was Jack Trickett, no relation to the owner of the firm, of Edgeside Lane, Edgeside.

Jack, 93, said: "I am probably one of the last surviving people who gave money to buy that piece of land and I feel it is disgusting that the council can even consider selling any part of it.

"I think it is quite wrong to sell even a small part of it. It has been given to the town as a memorial for the people from the factory who died. It is the equivalent of selling part of a church yard."

Jack left school at 12 and began working as a half-timer at Trickett's. After a year he became full-time and after another six months left to become an apprentice cabinet maker.

He taught woodwork at the former Lea Bank School for 11 years from 1946 and went on teach at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School until he retired in 1970.

Mr Trickett and his wife Edna have both written to the council to object to the proposed sale.

Rossendale Council's solicitor John Tradewell said an approach had been made to the council to buy a piece of land which has leased to be used as a garden for some time.

He said there was no plan to sell off any other parts of the memorial ground.