THE HEAD of Blackburn's museum and art gallery for a quarter of a century has spoken out about vicious cuts in funding for the service after losing his job as part of budget reductions.

Head of Arts Adrian Lewis fears the internationally-acclaimed museum he has helped nurture for 25 years may be on a downward spiral to closure, with the possible sell-off of treasures which people travel from all over the world to view.

He says when he finishes at the end of this month, the museum will be left with no staff with qualifications higher than diploma in museum keeping - until a museum manager is taken on at a lower salary.

The sacking of nine of the 22 staff means the museum will open only afternoons in future.

Mr Lewis claims the museum service had been under-funded for years by Blackburn Council, and was asked to carry an amazing burden in this year.

"In this budget, 40 per cent of the cuts in the community and leisure department are carried by the service which forms six per cent of the department."

Insisting his comments were not "sour grapes" but those of regret, Mr Lewis said: "The tactics have been a bit heavy handed. I know it has been difficult with more than £900,000 to cut from this year's budget.

"Over the last eight years, the community and leisure services department has been allowed to spend £49 million, but the museum and art gallery got just £3.2 million of that. "Money has been poured into Waves and King George's Hall but the museum, which celebrates its 125th anniversary next year, has seen very little.

"The museum is one of the very few places in Blackburn where you can get in without paying.

"We provide for everybody, all ages and abilities. Grandparents bring children. It is used by art students, and it is full of youngsters on a Saturday morning."

He believes it is wrong to deprive Blackburn people of access to the legacy left to them by their forebears: "Ninety nine per cent of the museum contents have been given to the borough - plus the building.

"The rich bequeathed these items bought with the money made for them by people working in the industries of the town.

"Top museums in other countries regularly ask for the loan of our paintings. We have sent them as far afield as Australia, Japan and America, and the Tate Gallery has just asked for another."

Mr Lewis is proud of the visitors' book which is packed with complimentary comments from visitors all over the world. But he wonders how long the museum will survive.

"I am very worried about the future. I worry about the possibility of the museum closing. "Personally, I feel it is the right time for me to leave. At 50, I stand the chance of getting another job, whereas if it had been five years later there would have been very little chance.

"What bothers me is the situation I am leaving the museum in, and that is a serious worry."

Council leader Malcolm Doherty said the council had done everything it could within its limited means to protect services.

"The decision was not an easy one to take. I am hopeful that at some time in the future, if we get unitary authority status, we will be able to expand the service. We would do everything we could to avoid closure."

The cuts have also angered the Friends of Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery.

Their chairman Joy Heffernan said: "Blackburn Council thinks the people of the borough are Philistines. The friends have put a lot of time, effort and money into helping the museum and we are disgusted about this."

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