A PETITION backing a charitable trust’s bid to buy an internationally-important Roman Fort attracted almost 1,000 signatures in its first 24 hours.

Auckland Castle Trust offered the £2m asking price for Binchester Roman Fort, near Bishop Auckland, after landowners the Church Commissioners put it up for sale last month.

The historic site – dubbed the Pompeii of the North - has been divided into two lots, which are among ten plots of land being sold by Church Commissioners in the area.

Keen to secure both plots and, in its view, safeguard the future of the Roman remains, the trust, led by philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer, set the Church Commissioners a deadline to speed up a decision.

But the landowner failed to meet the trust’s deadline, prompting the group to launch an online petition, Save Binchester Roman Fort, yesterday afternoon (Monday, September 1).

Within 24 hours, almost 1,000 people had signed the petition and the figure continues to rise.

Church Commissioners have branded the trust’s campaign a "scare story" and have accused it of seeking to manipulate an open and transparent process to its own advantage.

A commissioners' spokesman said numerous expressions of interest had been received and said all offers, including the Auckland Castle Trust bid, would be considered without prejudice or preference after the deadline of Thursday, September 18.

He said Durham County Council would retain a deed of guardian ship, meaning public access will continue after the sale.

“We are disappointed that such an excellent body as the Auckland Castle Trust do not recognise the statutory protections in operation for Binchester Roman Fort,” he added.

Auckland Castle Trust, however, maintains it is the only viable option for the fort, which it says fits in with its long-term vision to transform the fortunes of Bishop Auckland via the restoration of Auckland Castle.

The petition urges Church Commissioners not to sell the site to multiple buyers, a move it believes could lead to development, diminished access and the end of future research programmes.

Dr Chris Ferguson, head curator at Auckland Castle, said: “We have been stunned by the deluge of support for our petition in such a short space of time.

"But it shows the level of love there is for Binchester as well as the anxiety surrounding the site’s future.”

The e-petition can be found at change.org/p/the-church-commissioners-save-binchester-roman-fort

The trust is also asking the public to contact the Church Commissioners directly to express their concerns about Binchester.