PLANS for a National Army Museum to be created in the North were revealed to the public at the weekend.

Former Tory leader William Hague and his wife, Ffion, cut the ribbon to a display showing how the £23m museum would be built at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.

Army top brass said the project, if approved, would provide an interactive learning environment for the study of local and national military history from the Victorians to the present.

The development would complement the national museum in Chelsea and would give people living in the North access to a treasured collection, including 150 military vehicles.

The proposed site, south of Marne Barracks, is already rich in military history, including the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle and significant Second World War command installations.

Assistant museum director David Smurthwaite said: "The purpose of the exhibition was to inform the local community about our plans for the area and the museum, and to discover, in turn, how people view the project.

"The support we've already received from local bodies such as North Yorkshire County Council, Richmondshire and Hambleton district councils, and organisations including English Heritage and English Nature has been encouraging."

The museum is expecting a decision on a bid for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to be made in June.

Saturday's exhibition was staged in the Tesco store, Catterick Garrison, and the display will be touring North Yorkshire during the next month.