New call made to save port's Wyre Light

Wyre Light, the ruined lighthouse which lies two miles off the coast of Fleetwood, is becoming increasingly rickety and there are fears it will soon collapse and disappear under the sea.

With the Pharos Lighthouse and the Lower Lighthouse, the 177 -year-old Wyre Light gives Fleetwood three lighthouses, something no other town in the world has.

But with time running out, campaigners want to see it saved - before it is too late.

No organisation is admitting ownership of the structure, which is hampering any efforts to try and repair it.

The latest person to highlight the issue is Fleetwood resident Dave Walsh, who is calling on either Wyre Council or Lancashire County Council to step in.

Dave, who has also penned a touching poem about the lighthouse, said; “Wyre Light is part of our history. If nobody will own up to owning the Wyre Light then can the Wyre Council or Lancashire County please be bold and declare ownership and help those who want to save this landmark treasure?”

Fleetwood Civic Society is still attempting to establish who owns it. Chairman Margaret Daniels said: “Wyre Light is very important to Fleetwood and beyond. We are keen to see it saved.”

The 40ft structure, completed in 1840 and designed by Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell, was innovatively fashioned in the screwpile design. But it was destroyed in a huge blaze in 1948 and decommissioned as a navigational aid in 1979, when it was replaced by an illuminated buoy.

For many years Wyre Light was the attraction for the annual Wreck Treck, which saw guided walks to it across the sands to raise cash for Fleetwood Lifeboat.