The potential loss a £70m education building project has prompted an Archant weekly to launch a hard-hitting campaign.

Cambs Times editor John Elworthy said the fight to save the construction of a new campus was vital to future generations in an area with one of the worst education records in the UK.

The plans had original been given the green light but the Learning and Skills Council pulled the funding at the last minute.

If put back on track, it would see the College of West Anglia expand by building a new campus in March and a second in King’s Lynn, Norfolk.

It is believed that up to £12m has already been spent by the college in fees and charges while building contracts have already been awarded.

John told HTFP: “We see it as the most important to be developed in Fenland for years.

“It’s an area with some of the worst education records in any part of the country.

“We’ve got low attainment figures in what is considered a prosperous county – we’re the forgotten bit of Cambridgeshire.

“The whole point of the campaign is to make sure Fenland is not forgotten.”

MP for Cambridgeshire North East Malcolm Moss has called it the worst case of government incompetence in his 20 years as the area’s MP and is trying to get an Opposition Day debate on what went wrong.

Reporters took to the local market to drum support and gather signatures while John has written personally to the Prime Minister saying the decision to pull the funding would be a disaster for the area.