CAMPAIGNERS have criticised plans which could see two of the region's flagship museums closed due to possible £6m deficit.

Museum bosses forecast a gloomy future for the National Railway Museum, York, and its satellite Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon.

They are part of the Science Museum Group which included the National Media Museum, Bradford, the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, and the Science Museum, London.

The group is already coping with a £2m deficit for next year and has carried out cost cutting measures including job losses.

Now there are fears the Government will announce further budget cuts to the group of £4m over four years from 2015 - meaning the axe for one museum.

Ian Blatchford, Science Museum Group director, said: “We’re looking at cutting spending but we may have to close one of the northern museums.

“There’s a very real possibility one of the museums could shut. I can’t see any way of saving the money without doing something drastic.

“If we just split the deficit across the three northern museums they’d all be badly affected.

“If the York museum is badly damaged by the cuts then Locomotion would also suffer as they’re closely linked.

“We’re not allowed to charge entry at the museums. We’ll need to ask the Government about changing that.

“Locomotion’s costs are small and it’s a major success story. Even if we bring charges into York we’d like to keep Shildon free.

“But if we do charge it won’t be a white knight solution due to the number of visitors we’d need.”

The York rail museum, which opened in 1975, attracted 727,000 visitors in 2012-13 while Locomotion, which opened in 2004, drew in 200,000.

Mr Blatchford said both museums had created an economic boost to Shildon and York and that closure would affect local businesses.

Hugh Bayley, York’s Labour MP, who has criticised the funding cuts, said: “Closure of the NRM in York or Shildon should be unthinkable.

“They bring in hundreds of thousands of visitors each year who spend millions locally. The Government should have a re-think.”

While Peter Quinn, Shildon’s mayor, said: “If they decide to shut Locomotion then we’d fight to save it. It would be very bad for the town.

“I’d hope they’d look for other ways to save the money first.”

The Prospect union which covers museum staff has warned that the Government’s cuts could see entry charges brought in or museum’s closed.