THOUSANDS of people have backed a letter asking a Government minister not to forget their community.

The letter and a petition containing more than 3,000 signatures from Stanley residents was presented to local MP Giles Radice on the understanding that he would hand it over to Culture Secretary Chris Smith.

The campaigners from Stanley Action Group Enterprise hope the minister will intervene to ensure Derwentside District Council receives lottery money to build a new £4.5m swimming pool.

They also ask Mr Smith to use his influence as Culture Secretary to try to release lottery funds to improve other facilities in the town, which they argue have been neglected in recent years.

Chairman of the action group Maureen Storey said she hoped to remind Mr Smith of comments he made recently, when he admitted that former mining areas such as Stanley receive less money per head of population than elsewhere.

The letter to Mr Smith reads: "As you can see by the number of names on the petition enclosed, people in this area feel very strongly about the lack of facilities and amenities in Stanley for young and old alike. We have lost all our play areas and our parks are in a state of neglect. We are desperate to get funding to improve these amenities."

Mrs Storey added that members of the action group have arranged a meeting with council planners and the leader of Derwentside council Alex Watson in order to find out more about long-term plans for the town.

She said: "Stanley used to have a lot going for it and it could again. I want to see the council have a strategy for the town.

"We want people to move here but if there's nothing for them they won't."

Derwentside council is in the process of submitting a fourth set of designs for the swimming pool to lottery agents Sport England. A final decision on the grant will be made in the coming weeks.