HISTORIANS are urging leaders at St George's Church in Preston to preserve a burial ground on the site despite development plans.

Proposals for the town centre church include constructing a new entrance on what is now the back of the building, and extending the existing main porch to erect a community centre for arts projects. Subject to planning permission, the work will begin in April and last nine months.

But historians are worried that important graves and tombstones may be overlooked and are demanding more research into the burial ground.

St George's Church is the resting place for many important Preston people from centuries ago.

Among them is former MP Samuel Horrocks who died in 1812 and whose family set up the huge Horrocks cotton empire on New Hall Lane. Doctor Richard Shepherd, a former Preston mayor who donated a library to the town was buried there in 1761.

Local history author John Garlington said: "We must preserve Preston's past, especially the graves of local worthies. They tell a lot about our history and we shouldn't mess with them. Research needs to be done to see who else is buried there, and we should be told what's happening. It'd be very upsetting to see any graves moved or built on."

Father Damian Feeney, from Preston Parish Church, said the area was being examined but plans had not been finalised. He said: "Everything is being carefully recorded, cleaned and preserved. It's a painstaking process.

"We have architects' drawings of the new development but details are still being discussed. It's a complicated project which must also meet the requirements of English Heritage."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.