COMMUNITY groups hope businesses will help them secure an important part of their history by temporarily purchasing a former railway station.

The station house in Witton Park, near Bishop Auckland, once stood on the Stockton to Darlington railway and dates back to the mid-1800s.

It was built by iron giants Baulkow and Vaughn, who supplied the rails for the railway before starting the iron and steel industry in Teesside .

Now community groups in Escomb and Witton Park, local schools and councillors are joining forces to try to buy the house, which is up for sale.

Wear Valley councillor Derek Jago said a steering group was being formed to oversee the project and they were very confident they would secure the grants to buy the historical building.

But he said the grants would take three months to process and they needed a local business to step in temporarily and put the money forward for the house immediately. The property is currently up for sale on the open market.

Mr Jago said: "Any company who could help us buy the building would only have to buy it until we get the grants through from the Community Support Unit.

"Any money spent on it would be offset by selling the land around the station, which did have outline planning permission for building on it."

The new steering group also plans to promote Witton Park and Escomb - home to one of Britain's most well preserved Saxon churches - as tourist destinations. The plans coincide with the securing of funding for an off-shoot of the National Railway Museum in Shildon and proposals to reopen the Weardale Railway.

The project organisers hope to turn the station into a museum and visitors' centre for the nearby Paradise Project, which opens in May.

The project is being built on an area of reclaimed land that should eventually be transformed to a nature reserve.

Mr Jago said: "There's a lot of history around here and the area has a lot to offer."

Any firms wishing to help with the purchase of the station should contact Derek Jago on (01388) 458358.