TALKS BREAK DOWN BETWEEN COUNCIL & MARITIME MUSEUM SOCIETY

Newcastle Council has wiped its hands of the city’s Maritime Museum collection, after talks broke down with the local heritage society.

The council had organised temporary storage for more than 7,000 items after the museum closed last year.

An offer was then made to incorporate the collection into the Newcastle Museum, but that was declined by the Maritime Museum Society, which is holding out for a home of its own.

The items are now back in the society’s hands – it has 15 months to find alternate accommodation.