ALMOST 4,000 people have signed a petition against plans to demolish several historic features on Darlington's High Row.

Darlington Civic Trust members have been collecting names and addresses from shoppers every Saturday.

Trust members said they will keep the petition going until Darlington Borough Council lodges the planning application for its pedestrianisation scheme in the new year. It will then hand the petition to the borough council.

The trust wants High Row to be preserved and features, such as the steps, terraces, and Victorian balustrades and railings, which it says are a vital part of the town's character, to be retained.

It is calling on the council to consult the public.

The council questioned about 350 shoppers in the summer about the plans.

But Clive Owen, vice-chairman of the trust, said many people at the time had said they were in favour of pedestrianisation, without realising it would mean the loss of several of High Row's most distinct features.

He said: "Once we pointed out the council wanted to demolish it, people started having second thoughts. We didn't expect to get so many signatures but we didn't even need to stop people, people were seeing us and coming up to us."

He said the trust was was right to demand that the council to hold proper public consultation on the matter.

Mr Owen said the trust would consider asking the Government to hold a public inquiry, should the council plans be approved.

"The council has a choice, they can ask the public whether they favour the scheme; we would accept the public's decision," he said.