RAIL bosses have provoked outrage after deciding to restore Blackburn station's Victorian clocks -- and erect them at Manchester Piccadilly.

Network Rail, formerly Railtrack, today said there was simply not the room to place the giant timepieces back in their old home.

But Blackburn with Darwen Council accused it of breaking a promise to always keep the clocks in Blackburn.

And Blackburn MP Jack Straw and the Civic Society criticised the decision to move two pieces of the town's heritage to Manchester.

The ornate clocks, worth around £2,500 each, had been ticking for 113 years when they were removed in 1999 as demolition workers moved in for the £6 million redevelopment of Blackburn station.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "They will go to Piccadilly, one in the entrance and the other to platform 12.

"Manchester Piccadilly is a listed building so the clocks will be kept well.

"It is quite a prestigious site now it has been refurbished.

"We have been offered funding for the refurbishment, which will cost £16,000, and it is expected by the end of June."

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration, said: "If this is what they have done than they have gone back on an agreement they made when they started work at the railway station.

"I will contacting officers to find out what has gone on and why they have gone back on their word. I am very annoyed."

Mr Straw said he would be unhappy if at least one of the clocks did not remain at Blackburn station and he would be taking the issue up with Network Rail.

He said: "I can't see why at least one of them should not be in the older part of the station that has been retained.

"While I accept that the clocks might be inappropriate in the modern section I think at least one of them should be in the foyer."

Doug Chadwick, the vice-chairman of the Blackburn Civic Society, said: "It is a desperate shame.

"I sympathise with the view that they are huge and it would be hard to fit them in, but it is nice to have a reminder of the past.

"The people of Manchester will have the benefit of our little bit of history. It is one consolation that they won't be scrapped."

Jeff Stone, part owner of the Exchange Arcade in Fleming Square, tried to buy the clocks late last year to save them for Blackburn.

He said: "It is ridiculous that they are giving our heritage to other areas.

"They didn't quote us a price as they didn't give us the opportunity to get that far. We were very, very interested to put them in Fleming Square and keep them in Blackburn. It is another sad day for Blackburn."

David Butterworth, chairman of the local First North Western passengers' committee, said: "We came to the conclusion that the clocks would be out of keeping with the new-style station.

"The clocks were rather massive and in the first instance they were to become scrap. "I am not disappointed at all that they won't be in Blackburn because it would have been a clash."