IT'S AN enduring landmark of old Blackpool and there is even a plaque to prove it. But nobody can see Marton Windmill's special plaque -- because it's locked inside!

And Fylde historian Terry Regan says its time the plaque was put where people could see it, or for the mill to be opened to the public instead.

Terry, of Lincoln Road, Blackpool, said it was ridiculous that the plaque was on the inside. "At some point this huge bronze plaque was cast and it's curved to fit the building. And the mill workings are unique -- they are a work of art in themselves," he said.

"But I have come to the conclusion that for whatever reason the council don't want the public to access that building."

He was worried that the plaque -- which commemorates historian Alan Clarke's classic history book, Windmill Land -- was being hidden away, or that there might be a "hidden agenda" for the windmill's future.

The Little Marton Windmill was the last working windmill within Blackpool Borough and was entrusted to the people of Blackpool in the early 1920s by the mill's then owners, the Bagot family, he said.

"It was given to the people of the town to be made into what we could call a heritage centre. What we are saying is that it's owned by the public and the public ought to get some access to it, at least in order that people could see what's inside it," Terry added.

But Clifton ward councillor Michael Carr said: "It's not in a fit state to be opened to the public. I have been inside it and it would need a lot of work doing to it."

Fellow ward councillor Joan Greenhalgh said that the public would not have access anyway as the building was currently let to the Scout Association for storage, and that the plaque was on the inside of the mill away from vandals.

"It's a never ending battle with would-be graffiti artists who always operate at night," she said. "The plaque was put inside for its own protection."

She admitted the windmill was a major landmark at one of the gateways to Blackpool, but said there were no plans to make any changes, open it to the public, or move the plaque where it could be seen.

"Over the years the council has spent a lot of money on the mill and there's many things been mooted for it, including a tea rooms. But it wouldn't pass health and safety for visitors as it is anyway."

Coun Roy Lewis, who oversees regeneration and tourism as part of his council responsibilities, said he did not know about the plaque or of any plans for the mill's future but he added: "We do our best to keep it in good condition and I can appreciate the wish of some members of the public to have a look."

Historic note: Alan Clarke was a prolific writer in the late 19th- early 20th century and was also a publisher with a print works in the South Shore area. When the Little Marton Windmill closed about 1927, the Bagot family's intention was that it should be turned into a memorial to Alan Clarke. In the 1980s the then council spent £80,000 refurbishing the inside workings made of cast iron.