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Campaign to keep city's heritage

The Lincolnshire Echo has launched a campaign to ask the public what should be done with the city’s historic King Richard II sword.

They were faced with the choice of keeping the city’s historic treaure – or selling it off to fund public amenities as the city council’s purse strings come under renewed pressure.

The paper found 806 readers opposing the idea of selling the sword to fund a building of a swimming pool.

Only 85 voters agreed the £12m sword should be sold.

The Echo telephone poll made the front page – and persuaded 891 readers to vote.

The newspaper’s debate has encouraged local discussion on the value of the city’s treasures to the public.

The sword is open to public viewing in the Guildhall at the city’s Stonebow.

Although the readers’ decision of what will happen to the sword is not final, the Echo has demonstrated the public strength of feeling on the issue.

Lincoln City council spokesman Julie Anders said: “Readers had to actually pick up the telephone and make the effort to register their vote, which is encouraging.

“I am so pleased the public recognises and wants to preserve the treasure it has. It would have been criminal to sell the sword. It is one of the city’s most famous treasures.”

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