A NORTH-East council is seeking more than £200,000 to help elevate a hated 1960s sculpture to the level of a national work of art.

Artist Victor Pasmore designed the abstract concrete pavilion which stands in a pool of stagnant water in the middle of a Peterlee housing estate, in east Durham.

For decades, residents have called for its demolition, claiming that the pavilion is nothing more than a haven for unruly youngsters and a target for vandals.

But, in a surprise move, Easington District Council has decided to prepare a National Lottery bid to turn the collection of concrete blocks, officially called the Apollo Pavilion, into a celebration of the town.

It is understood that the authority is seeking about a quarter-of-a-million pounds to clean up the structure and excavate a larger surrounding lake, to prevent youths reaching the sculpture.

Councillor David Taylor-Gooby, head council cabinet member for the environment, said there had been moves for some time to create a heritage centre in Peterlee.

The pavilion, he said, was a classic example of modern architecture, and could provide a focal point for such a centre, as well as celebrating the origins of the town.

Sculpture critic, Councillor Joan Maslin, said she would not oppose the lottery bid, but urged that residents in the Sunny Blunts area of the town should be consulted for their views.