AN historic North-East prisoner of war camp last night narrowly missed out on a place in the final of the BBC's acclaimed television show Restoration.

The show - which has been described as a Pop Idol contest for old buildings - saw the Glass House at Wentworth Castle in Barnsley narrowly beat Harperley prisoner of war camp, near Wolsingham, County Durham, to clinch a place in the final and a chance of getting up to £3m to restore it to its former glory.

Ravensworth Castle, in Gateshead, came third in the viewers' poll.

Last night, the camp's owners, James and Lisa McLeod, who want to turn the 17-acre site into a major visitors' attraction with a museum, garden centre and camping facilities, thanked everyone for the enormous support they had received.

James said: "We're a little bit disappointed, but the project is still going to happen, it just might take a bit longer.

"We've had such phenomenal support from everyone and e-mails and telephone calls from all over the country. We would like to thank them all."

Bob Pendlebury - chairman of Northumbria Tourist Board and Durham County Councillor for Crook south - was disappointed the camp did not win a place in the national final but remains optimistic about its development.

He said: "This is a disappointment but we shouldn't see this as the end of the road.

"By featuring in Restoration, it has had a lot of publicity and people must have been impressed by what they have seen.

"There will be other sources of funding that can be explored to move forward the scheme to save the camp and create a major attraction."

Viewers had until midnight on Wednesday to vote for which building they wanted to receive the money.

Wentworth Castle will go through to a short-list of ten projects for a live final on September 14.