'The axe may not have fallen, but the execution is still scheduled.' This is the warning from Britain's top maritime historian - Stephen Riley - after Lancashire County Council (LCC) members voted to do a U-turn on plans to shut down Fleetwood's beleaguered maritime museum last week.

Speaking after Thursday's decision to offer the Dock Street museum a 12-month reprieve from closure under £10m budget cut proposals, Mr Riley - director of Maritime Heritage at the National Maritime Museum, London - says a longer-term solution is still needed to secure the facility's future.

He has now vowed to support local plans to set-up a charitable trust to take over the running of the museum - which has also been granted a £79,000 Government Support Grant - next year.

Mr Riley said: "We are delighted that LCC have decided to re-evaluate the immediate future of the museum. But while the axe may not have fallen quite yet, we are very concerned that the execution is still scheduled.

"Our view is that the Fleetwood collection is a valuable national asset and is complemented by the area's rich maritime history.

"We are definitely of the opinion that the museum should stay in place at the town and we will be offering as much support, help and advice as we can to those seeking to step into LCCs shoes as management of the facility by forming a charitable trust."

Mr Riley - who also expressed his concern over the closure to LCC museum officials earlier this month - continued: "It is unlikely that we the National Maritime Museum would be able to be stretch our resources enough to offer financial assistance to the future Fleetwood Museum trust.

"But we can offer our expertise in many other beneficial areas and we will endeavor to do everything within our power to ensure that the facility has a long and useful life ahead of it.

"It will be a lot of work for those involved but I'm sure that, given the level of public support already shown for the museum, that will not be a difficult task."

As revealed in the Citizen (January 12), the museum was initially earmarked for closure, despite strong public opposition as part of the council's controversial cash-saving exercise.

The county councillor responsible for the original plans, Chris Cheetham said: "This year's budget has been particularly difficult and there is every reason to expect that next year's budget will be equally challenging."

A spokesman for Fleetwood Museum added: "Mr Riley is right.

"We've now got to concentrate on making sure we aren't in the same precarious position 12 months from now."