THE campaign to return the Lindisfarne Gospels to the region has received its biggest boost yet after a Cabinet minister pledged his full support.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham will put pressure on the British Library to give back the priceless manuscript on a longterm loan.

It is the first time a politician of Cabinet rank has agreed to intervene to persuade the library to end its insistence that the Gospels must stay in London.

The move immediately raised hopes that the Gospels would return to the region as early as next year, possibly to a new visitor centre in Durham city.

Mr Burnham agreed to act after he met a delegation on a visit to the region, when the proposal to create a branch of the British Library on the Palace Green, Durham, was explained to him.

Yesterday, a spokeswoman for Mr Burnham stressed that the location of the Lindisfarne Gospels remained a decision for the British Library board.

But she said: "Andy is keen to facilitate a discussion between the British Library and representatives from the North-East about a possible long-term loan."

MPs, who believe Mr Burnham is ready to meet British Library officials on the issue, saw the phrase "long-term loan" as a crucial step forward.

Durham North MP Kevan Jones said: "The Culture Secretary is now talking to the British Library not merely about loaning us the Gospels, but about there being a permanent home for them in the North-East.

"Durham University and the cathedral are looking at building a resource and visitor centre on Palace Green, not only as a possible home for the Gospels, but to display the university and cathedral's rich collection of early Christian manuscripts.

"That would be a great tourist attraction, not only for the city of Durham, but for the North-East."

Written in the 8th Century to record the legend of St Cuthbert, the patron saint of Northumbria, the Gospels were kept in Durham Cathedral until they were seized by Henry VIII in 1537 and taken to London. In 2000, 190,000 visitors saw pages in Newcastle, and 800 people an hour queued to see copies of pages at Durham Cathedral in 2003.

However, the British Library produced a study saying the Gospels were returned with fragments of paint coming off and must be "rested" in London until at least 2014.

Last year, the library agreed to a fresh study, now being carried out with an expert from the North-East Museums Service.