CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Poole Pottery from closure have handed in a petition with almost 3,500 signatures.

The iconic pottery started to close its Poole Quay shop late July, following months of discussions between owners Denby Holdings and the landlord of the property.

Poole Pottery has long been a name synonymous with the town and has been a huge draw for tourists and day trippers for decades.The Poole store and studio at the quay will remain open and continue to trade until October 15.

Susan Smith, from Poole Pottery Collectors Club, launched the petition.

She’s called for the Borough of Poole (BOP) to step in and help find an alternative premises for the business in the town, and they handed over the petition to Cllr Mohan Iyengar, the council’s culture and learning portfolio holder, yesterday morning.

Susan said: “If Poole Pottery goes it will affect the whole town, the town of Poole needs to get behind this.”

The Poole Pottery factory, previously located on the Poole Quay, was moved to Stoke in 2006, but the shop and studio have been kept as popular attractions on the quay.

Cllr Iyengar said: “Primarily it is between the landlord and retailer, but we cannot help but be concerned about this because Poole Pottery goes back nearly 150 years.

“The footfall it brings to the quay, there’s 1,000 a day that go in on average. Then they come out to other premises. We cannot be indifferent to the potential loss of that footfall.”

With that in mind Cllr Iyengar says he’s met representatives from Denby Holdings on three occasions, in a bid to help broker some sort of deal that will keep them in the town.

Cllr Iyengar said: “We will keep working to try and keep all the business, or part of the business, in that building or some other premises. There are still five weeks to go, there is still time.

Meanwhile, Gary Capell - retail director of Denby Holdings - commented: “We continue to look for other suitable sites within Poole given the close association that the brand has had with the town but at this time no agreements have been reached.”