MUSEUMS in the region said yesterday that more government funding is vital if they are to build on their success.

They were speaking following the launch of a national Manifesto for Museums, in London.

It calls for an extra £35m from the Government to fully fund the Renaissance in the Regions programme, which steers central government investment into regional museums.

The document also says that the attractions are vital to education, tourism, research and the economy.

It has been put together by a range of groups representing museums including the National Museums Directors' Conference and the Museums Libraries and Archives Council.

Museums in the North-East and North Yorkshire have welcomed the document.

Rosemary Allan, senior keeper at Beamish Museum, County Durham, said: "As part of the Renaissance in the Regions phase one North-East hub, we have been able to make Beamish and its collections accessible to a wider audience.

"There is so much more to be done to care properly for the treasures of the region. The investment recommendations of the manifesto will enable Beamish to continue to build upon this."

The National Museum of Science and Industry, which incorporates the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York, has signed up to the Museums Manifesto and played a significant part in its creation.

Figures released by the Government yesterday showed that since entry fees were scrapped at the NRM two years ago, the number of visitors has risen by 38 per cent.

But according to the head of the NRM, Andrew Scott, this has taken its toll.

He said: "The problem is that we are largely dependent on Government funding, which has scarcely increased in line with inflation and takes little account of either increasing visitor numbers or rising staff costs.

"We welcome the Government's strong support for museums and its recent initiatives to encourage more people to enjoy what we have to offer, but the increase in our popularity has not come without a price and that price now needs to be reflected in any future funding packages."

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it would decide on any funding change after Chancellor Gordon Brown's comprehensive spending review in June