MORE than 400 people have signed a petition asking Shropshire Council to reconsider plans to make major cuts at the Ludlow Museum Resource Centre.

People have until early March to sign the e-petition that has been posted on the Shropshire Council website.

It is the latest development in a bid to block moves by the council to replace three full-time jobs at the Museum Resource Centre with one part-time person.

Campaigners have had some success after it was decided to reprieve one of the jobs for six months.

This followed a packed public meeting attended by more than 100 people at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms to protest against the changes.

The e-petition that closes on Wednesday, March 4 reads:

"We the undersigned petition the council to stop the proposed 80% cut to staffing at Shropshire's Museum Resource Centre. "We believe the result of the planned cuts will be hugely detrimental to the access and maintenance of this vital historical, heritage, archaeological, educational and cultural resource - reducing access from five days a week to between one to three days. We urge Shropshire Council to reverse their decision.

"The Museum Resource Centre at Ludlow supports the whole museums service across Shropshire and makes its specialist facilities available to museums across the West Midlands. It is open by appointment to the general public and is used by education groups, students of all ages, researchers and enquirers from across the UK and overseas.

"Volunteers work on the collections throughout the year, co-ordinated and supervised by professional staff who are qualified in the natural sciences. From mammoth bones to social history, from an internationally renowned fossil collection to natural history, this centre is a hugely important resource for Shropshire, the West Midlands and beyond and needs to be maintained as such."

Shropshire Council says that the move is a consequence of having to make major savings but they say that the work of the centre will be able to continue.