THE doomed Lancaster Maritime Festival may not be dead in the water just yet...

For the annual spectacle held over the Easter weekend has scooped a top tourist award.

And that has renewed calls for the festival - which has brought thousands of visitors into the city in its 17-year history - to be saved.

The Maritime Festival has picked up the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board's 'best tourism experience' gong.

The award comes at the same time as a change in the way Lancaster City Council funds its festival programme means the three-day extravaganza is to be scrapped.

But that decision may have to be looked at again, says pub boss Roy Denby.

"They have to bring the festival back now," says Mr Denby, of the Three Mariners pub, on the quayside.

Judges chose it for the top award after making particular note of the 'strongly themed experience, executed with professionalism, which brought tourism benefits to the local economy'.

The Maritime Festival will now go forward to represent Lancashire and Blackpool in its category at the North West Tourism Awards, to be held in October.

City council cabinet member for tourism Cllr Ron Sands says: "This is a truly well-deserved accolade and a tribute to 17 continuous years of imaginative and inspired dedication by the Festival organisers and production team.

"I hope the award might pave the way to a securer future for the festival."

Lancaster Castle was also short-listed in the small visitor attraction category.

Tourist Board chief executive Mike Wilkinson says: "This year's event was bigger and better than ever and truly showcased some outstanding organisations and individual who continue to spearhead excellence in tourism."

Mr Denby has already organised a fun day to raise support for the festival on August 1 when he will also hand a petition in at the town hall: "The festival brought so many people into the area and it really should carry on.

"To stop it would be ludicrous, especially after it won this award."