A CAMPAIGN to rescue Little Sutton Railway Station from dereliction has gathered momentum.

A Facebook group called ‘Save Little Sutton Train Station’ has about 350 members, with people posting photos of the decaying bricks and tiles at the Victorian station.

With an £11m plan to bring Chester train station up to date, and £40m being spent on Liverpool city centre’s five stations, residents believe smaller community stations should get a share of cash for maintenance.

Network Rail is responsible for the upkeep of the Grade II-listed station house and bridge.

Cllr Ben Powell, a founder of Friends of Little Sutton Train Station, said: “I have raised the condition of the station building with Merseyrail; however, in my view we need to look further than simply keeping the building maintained.

“A number of station friends groups in other areas, including Frodsham, have been successful in obtaining finance to refurbish historic station buildings and I hope that we can do the same here.

“Meanwhile, we are continuing to look at smaller improvements to the station.

“So far we have installed planters for flowers on the platform and had the long concrete fence painted. There are a number of plans for future minor improvements, including the installing of paintings by local children to add colour to the station.”

Network Rail accepts there is spalled brickwork and that two doors may need attention.

Spokesman Keith Lumley visited the Facebook page and decided at least one of the images flagged up a problem that needed urgent attention.

He said: “There was one photo that I downloaded and sent to colleagues and that was one where there is a missing ‘piece’ on one side of the footbridge staircase.

“This has now been logged as a fault and is to receive urgent attention

“I have to be honest and say that as it is a rather ornate footbridge, the repair may only be temporary and may stick out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of it – but at least it will make it safer.”

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s transport officer Sally Buttifant is trying to locate funding to help pay for further work on the station.