CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save land used as a sports ground from development suffered a blow when the European High Court of Human Rights ruled against them.

The court ruled that the human rights of Washington First Forum - set up to oppose plans by the City of Sunderland College - had not been breached when they were banned from a town centre.

The forum, which is fighting plans for a further education college on the sports arena at Princess Park, Washington, had set up a stall outside the shopping centre in the privately-owned town centre to collect signatures for its petition.

But its owners, the Prudential Insurance Company, banned the group, saying it could be used for political activity.

Forum spokesman Robert Duggan said: "We are surprised and dismayed that the European Court has found against us, because we expected that the court would find in our favour.

"This is a step backwards in our efforts to save the sports arena from being lost to development and, although we are obviously disappointed with the judgement, our campaign will continue.

"In a democracy, you would expect that everybody would have the right to campaign for what they believe in."

The forum said its campaign had been seriously hampered in its efforts as it had only managed to collect 4,000 signatures out of a population of 70,000, when the vast majority supported its cause.

The campaign to save the sports arena is supported by the National Playing Fields Association, the Open Spaces Society, and the Council for the Protection of Rural England.

The House of Lords will hear an appeal against the refusal by the City of Sunderland Council to register the sports arena as a town or village green, on May 19 and 20.

If the appeal is successful it will mean that playing fields around the country will, in the future, enjoy a greater degree of protection from developers.