THE persuasive powers of a town mayor are being used to secure funding to help rebuild a Rossendale community hall that was burned to the ground.

Mayor of Whitworth Coun Alan Neal met representatives from the Heritage Lottery Board in London earlier this week to discuss raising funds to rebuild Whitworth Civic Hall.

He says he is confident that funders could provide up to 50 per cent of the money needed, but he accepted the board could not make a firm promise until the fire investigation report was completed in the New Year.

The meeting was called after an electrical fault at the civic hall caused a huge blaze, gutting the two-storey building last Saturday morning.

Coun Neal has also been visiting schools asking children to keep away from the site because it may contain asbestos.

Coun Neal said: "Members of the board met me at 10pm which I thought was fantastic.

"They want to meet me again when the fire officers' report has been completed."

A spokesman for the Lottery Heritage Board said: "In order to get a grant from the heritage fund, we have to receive an application and would assess it on its own merits.

"The building would have to be of heritage importance and we would consider the impact on the community of having lost such a facility.

"If we can't help them, the mayor could seek funding from the Lottery Community Fund."