CAMPAIGNERS are demanding a permanent memorial be built in Lancashire for speed ace Donald Campbell after the site where his famous Bluebird was built was cleared to make way for a golf driving range.

Friends of the Earth, backed by Blackburn Civic Society, is leading calls for a tribute to Campbell at the former engineering works in Samlesbury, Preston.

Work has now started to build a golf driving range on the former Samlesbury Engineering site where the 26ft-long Bluebird K7 boat took four months to be built.

The firm was also responsible for building the Bluebird car in which Campbell made his name.

Professional golfer Jeff Matthews has been approached by Friends of the Earth to see if he will install a memorial.

Campbell's funeral is expected to take place next month after his body was finally identified on August 10 this year -- almost 35 years after the day of the fatal attempt to become the first person to break 300mph on water.

Brian Jackson, a spokesman for Friends of the Earth, said the history of the site could be forgotten forever unless a memorial is built.

He said: "In view of Donald Campbell's brave efforts and the knowledge he put into his achievements I thought it would be worthy of making a memorial at the site as a tribute.

"It was down to good old Lancastrian know-how and it should not go unnoticed.

"It looks like Samlesbury was the hot-spot of front line engineering and that has got to be a good thing to put the place on the map. People will be able to go to the driving range and learn a lot about what went on there. It will be a 21st century amenity but will have kept in touch with the past. It would be a real pity to let history whitewash over it.

"When I spoke to Mr Matthews about it I told him the site had a proud history and that it should be marked irrespective of whether or not the boat should have been brought up and he seemed to like the idea.

"We definitely should not let things like this pass us by. When you look at our history it reminds us about what we have achieved and what we could achieve in the future."

Mr Matthews was unable to comment due to a golfing tournament in Scotland.