THE popular Teesside-born drag queen La Voix has spoken out about what it means to keep the Locomotion No.1 in Darlington - "its rightful place".

La Voix, otherwise known as Chris Dennis from Elmtree, Stockton, urges people to not let the "threatened" Locomotion No.1 be moved out of Darlington.

"It's such an important part of Darlington's history, not only is it the steam engine that featured on the old £5 note but it's also in the coat of arms for Darlington," La Voix said in a video shared by Darlington MP Peter Gibson.

"We are so close to the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington railway so don't take it away now.

"I remember going to see that locomotion as a kid and  I want future generations of Darlington to be able to see that locomotion in its rightful place."

The popular drag queen, who appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2014 and has been entertaining the masses on stage and on screen for a decade now, urged people to support the 'Keep the Loco in Darlo' campaign.

La Voix, who has lived in London for 20 years, told The Northern Echo: “So much has changed in the North-East since I was a child, with the decline and closure of so many of the industrial factories and work moved abroad. 

“The recognition and pride of all industry is immense. It’s our history. To remove something as iconic as the Locomotion No.1, which has been housed in Darlington for so long, is to ignore the history of this town.

“To move this to another museum is a crime. There needs to be careful consideration on whether you’re moving a museum piece or a displacing a legacy to the people.

“For someone who travelled to London to experience bigger museums and culture, I feel strongly that we need to embrace history and culture in our own towns. 

“Children of the North-East need to be able to be inspired by their home’s history in their home towns and not have to travel to find it.”

The Locomotion No. 1 was the first steam locomotive to haul a passenger-carrying train on a public railway, making its inaugural journey in 1825 between Stockton and Darlington.

For more than 160 years it has been looked after by the people of Darlington and since 1975 it has been on permanent display at the Head of Steam railway museum.

The Northern Echo:

However, the locomotive is part of the National Collection and controlled by the National Railway Museum (NRM), part of the Science Museum Group.

The NRM has revealed plans to move it out of town.

With the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway approaching in 2025 alongside plans for a new rail heritage quarter in Darlington, Darlington Borough Council say the loss of Locomotion No. 1 would be a major blow to the town.

The council would like to see the petition debated in Parliament.

But for that to happen, it would need to attract 100,000 names.

Councillor Heather Scott, leader of Darlington Council, said: “I was delighted to hear La Voix has become the latest to add their voice to the growing calls to Keep The Loco in Darlo.

“With more than 3,700 people having now signed the petition, this all shows that even people who have moved away from the area care about the locomotive being here, and further underlines the fact that Darlington is its rightful home.

"This is something the people of Darlington will be horrified about, and I fully understand.

The Northern Echo:

“I want to send a very clear message to people in Darlington that this council will leave no stone unturned in our quest to keep Locomotion No. 1 in Darlington.

“Keeping Locomotion No. 1 in Darlington is crucial for our 2025 celebrations – it’s unthinkable to imagine it anywhere else but Darlington for the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger railway.

“I would urge people to sign the petition and add their voices to our campaign – the case for keeping Locomotion No. 1 in Darlington is not just persuasive, it’s compelling.”

Anyone wishing to support the campaign is urged to sign the Keep the Loco in Darlo petition.