A CIVIC society campaigner is calling for an 110-year-old Darwen building to be put to better use after standing derelict for more than two years.

The old technical college on Union Street has been up for sale three times in the past 10 years after it was abandoned as a branch of Moorland High School inlthe mid 1980s.

And now Sally Haworth, is campaigning for more to be made of the town centre building.

The former school, in a conservation area, has been revamped and used as offices in recent years. But the announcement of its sale in the past month has prompted community members to speak out for its development.

Sally said: "I taught at the technical college in the 1950s until it turned into Moorland's Lower School in 1972.

"The last private owners did a lot of work on the property because it's such a lovely old building.

"It's had a lot of money spent on it and we would love to see it used within the community. The building is ideal for exclusive flats or a small school or offices."

Such is the feeling for the old school that Sudell ward councillor Derek Brindle has to started a campaign to save the building.

A petition attracted thousands of signatures and the building, then owned by Lancashire County Council, was saved.

Coun David Brindle said: "I would like to see the building taken over by the council. It's a shame that we are back to square one again because the building is a real asset to Darwen.

Jack Fisher, civic society chairman, said: "There is a lot of sentimentality attached to the building.

"The building looks lovely at the moment. The previous owners sandblasted the outside and refurbished the inside. The building needs to be brought back into the community again and used for something useful."

The building, selling for £750,000, has already attracted interest from two major companies but Manchester estate agents, Stevens Scanlon, would not reveal the details.