WEST Wiltshire MP Andrew Murrison is continuing his campaign against the relocation of the county record office.

He has written to the chairman and chief executive of the Heritage Lottery Bid criticising Wiltshire County Council's application for funding to move the record office from Trowbridge to Chippenham.

He said: "I strongly support the county council in its desire to replace the current rundown record office but I am exasperated by its insistence on moving it from the county town.

"My concerns are not just parochial feelings also run high in Salisbury and elsewhere in Wiltshire. People need to access the record office and Chippenham is simply hopeless for much of the county."

Dr Murrison opposed previous plans to shift the record office to Devizes. He has now written to council leader Jane Scott to explain why he also cannot support the Chippenham bid.

He said: "I hope the lottery board will agree that we must have a new record office and it must be in Trowbridge."

TALKS on the state of West Wiltshire District Council's budget have opened between Westbury MP Andrew Murrison and council leader Tony Phillips.

Dr Murrison has already written to deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to protest about the ceiling placed on increases in government funding.

He said: "I hope the new administration will be able to put the council back onto a sound financial footing."