WILTSHIRE County Council has performed a U-turn over the future location of the Wiltshire and Swindon Records Office, reluctantly accepting that Chippenham is the best option.

The council had been defiant that the records should be moved from the cramped offices at Trowbridge to Devizes.

Despite losing the support of its partner in the scheme, Swindon Council which preferred Swindon, but had Chippenham as second choice the county had considered ploughing ahead alone.

But it has now discovered that obtaining a Heritage Lottery Fund grant for Devizes would be difficult, as transport links to Chippenham are considered better.

County council leader Peter Chalke claimed the HLF had moved the goalposts on how it judges funding bids, forcing the council to change its mind and put forward Chippenham's Cattle Market as first choice.

He said: "The council has to be practical. It has to protect the county's heritage and it has to ensure that the collection is not split up or taken away."

A bid for cash to build a new records office has already failed once, and the need to move from Trowbridge is now becoming urgent.