CAMPAIGNERS who lost their battle to save a historic mill chimney now say they have secured part of it as a monument to the village's linen industry.

Wilford's Linen Mill chimney, in Brompton, near North-allerton, is being dismantled by contractors after its owner, Felicity Bonoventura, and her agents, Strutt and Parker, said it had to come down on safety grounds.

Strutt and Parker now say that the decorative brick and stonework of the chimney's cap can be saved and arrangements have been made for it to be recovered and placed in safekeeping.

The feasibility of rebuilding the cap in a public place will now be studied and a suitable location sought in the village.

Erik Matthews, chairman of Brompton Heritage Group, said: "It would be a monument to the linen industry that was at the heart of village life for centuries.

"There will be a lot of work to do before it can be reconstructed and a lot depends on how well the pieces withstand being brought down to the ground."

Mr Matthews said that the demolition work has actually exposed the strength of the structure, saying the chimney was in such good condition that workmen struggled to attach the fastenings for their ladders and scaffolding.

But Christopher Orme, of Strutt and Parker, said that was not the case. "I am very surprised at that comment because we had a report done that said the chimney required repointing, particularly round the top," he said.