ADMISSION charges are likely to rise by as much as 28 per cent at Beamish Museum next year.

Members of the governing committee of the North-East's open air heritage museum, near Stanley, County Durham, are expected to ratify price increases approved by its finance and general purposes committee yesterday.

The new package of charges will mean adults paying £12 for admission, a £2 increase on the present charge.

People over 60 will have to pay a £9 entry fee, instead of the existing £7 charge.

Other rises, of £1 each, will see the individual charges for an adult party rise to £8, over-60 party members paying £7, and children on school trips being charged £5.

The only charge remaining unchanged is the £6 fee for child visitors in non-school parties.

Should the full committee approve the recommended increases when it meets next month, the new charges will be implemented from April 1.

Museum bosses forecast annual visitor figures of 291,000, based on the new charges, which is a 40,000, or 12 per cent, reduction on the final total expected for this year.