"Hands off our museum!" This was the message from pupils at St Wulstan's and St Edmund's school, Fleetwood, this week as Lancashire County Council (LCC) members get ready to decide the fate of the town's much-loved maritime museum.

More than 300 children at the school have written to members of the council's cabinet in a bid to save the Queens Terrace museum from facing the axe over plans to slash council expenditure by a massive £10m.

As reported in last week's Citizen, LCC finance directors have recommended that the museum be shut down permanently in a bid to claw back £100,000 in running costs, plus an estimated £150,000 needed to modernise the Victorian building.

Year six pupil, Kirsty Graham, ten, said: "Closing the museum is a really stupid idea.

"Many of us don't just go to the museum with school, we go with our families too because it's a good way to learn about the history of our town."

Classmate Anthony Bowker, 11, added: "The county councillors should keep their hands off our museum!"

Even headteacher, Sharon Jones, is set to write a letter of concern over the proposed closure.

Mrs Jones said: "As far as we're concerned the museum is one of the jewels in Fleetwood's crown as well as being home to some of the North West's most unique maritime and Victorian-era treasures and artefacts.

"Aside from being a popular tourist attraction the museum is an integral part of our curriculum that I'm afraid we would be lost without it."

But St Wulstan's and St Edmund's aren't alone in speaking out against the plan.

Wyre councillor and LCC cabinet member, Cllr Keith Tebbs, has already called on fellow cabinet members to veto the recommendation.

And Friends of Fleetwood Museum vice-chairman, Derek Timms, has urged the entire community to "rally round" by attending a public meeting, the details of which are to be announced shortly.

Mr Timms, of Mere Avenue in the port, said: "We all need to rally round now as a community and ensure that this proposal does not take root in the county's budget plans."

Fleetwood Museum curator, Simon Hayhow, declined to comment on news of the proposal, but says he has been 'overwhelmed' with the support shown so far

A report outlining the proposal is to be presented to the cabinet by Adult and Community Services leader, County Councillor Chris Cheetham on January 26.