Anger over lace museum closure

Nottingham is the birthplace of the lace industry

Campaigners are calling for council leaders in Nottingham to help preserve the city's historic reputation for lacemaking.

They want the public sector to help the privately-run Museum of Nottingham Lace on High Pavement to stay open.

Its owners are planning to shut down the attraction because it is losing money.

But supporters of the museum accuse the city council of failing to take action to ensure the industry, which once employed almost half of Nottingham's population, is not forgotten.

President of the British Lace Federation Duncan McMeeking said: "The council of whichever political hue will always see that there is a more pressing need for the rate money than the sustenance of a historic industry which they perceive to be in decline."

Industrial heritage

Supporters point to France, where the publicly-funded lace museum in Calais receives 20,000 visits a year.

However a spokeswoman for Nottingham City Council said that it was not ignoring the city's industrial heritage.

She said that the council had always supported the lace museum with exhibits, and was now considering how best to keep the industry's history alive.

"We have our own museums service and one of the things we are looking at is how we can better preserve the lace heritage within it."