A CAMPAIGN group has appealed to Swindonians to join hands to save a local beauty spot.

The Save Coate Coalition is asking people to write short dedications on hand-shaped pieces of card, which will be linked together to form a chain around Coate Water in a show of support later this year.

Jean Saunders, a campaigner for Swindon Friends of the Earth, is a member of the coalition.

She said: "This campaign is designed to build on a poll that was conducted last year by the Swindon Civic Trust, in which Coate Water was voted Swindon's favourite place.

"We thought it would be nice for people to express very simply what they like about Coate Water. It gets thousands of visitors a year and people go there for different reasons, so we are using joining hands as an expression of solidarity for Coate Water.

"By writing a dedication on the hand, people will have the chance just to say why they love the place."

The hands will be linked together in a paper chain for an event in the late autumn, possibly during the half-term holidays.

Mrs Saunders said: "We are also having a remembrance book. All the hands with the dedications will be photocopied and placed in a file as a sort of Coate Water remembrance book just in case anything nasty happens to it.

"The threat to Coate is from housing, the proposed university and business use. We have spent some time there collecting signatures on a petition, and we have almost 10,000 signatures."

The petition calls for a one kilometre buffer of undeveloped land around Coate Water to protect its landscape, setting, wildlife value, literary connections and Neolithic history.

Mrs Saunders said: "It's incredible how many people of all ages love going there.

"Perhaps they love the wildlife, the landscape, the lake or the amenities. Or maybe they like to run or cycle round it.

"And dogs love it too, so we thought we'd collect a few paw prints too."

l If you want to take part, draw around your hand on a piece of card with about an inch of wrist. Cut out the hand outline.Turn hand in waving position. Write a short dedication saying why you love Coate Water and your name (children should add their age). Send to: Join Hands Around Coate, Marsh Cottage, Wanborough, Swindon, SN4 OAR.

David Andrew