STAFF at a volunteer-run museum were celebrating yesterday after attaining the status that will open the doors for more public funding.

The Yorkshire Air Museum, in Elvington, near York, was set up in the early 1980s and has since become a major attraction, boasting an impressive collection of aircraft.

It is also designated as the Allied Air Forces Memorial and only recently it was chosen by the Aircrew Association to be the home of all the archive material gathered by their members.

Now it has been announced that the museum has achieved level two of the Museum's Registration Scheme.

The scheme sets the standard for museums throughout the country and to qualify the air museum had to show it met high standards in management, care of collections and commitment to public services.

"People donating artefacts to the museum can rest assured that all such items will remain as part of the national heritage and not distributed to any private collection," said a spokesman.

Museums registered under the scheme are also considered worthy of receiving support from public sources.