The campaign to raise £50,000 to bring a 150-year-old letter written by Charlotte Bronte, pictured, home to Haworth, is being backed by Bradford Council.

The Council's lottery group has agreed to lobby the national heritage lottery in support of the Bronte Society, which has been offered the letter by an American family.

Keighley Councillor Barry Thorne (Lab Keighley West) said: "We will tell the lottery commission how important it is that the letter comes back to Haworth and the Bronte Parsonage Museum, which is the world centre of Bronte heritage.''

The City Hall group was successful in getting lottery bosses to provide funds to secure the veteran buses from the failed Transperience discovery park in Low Moor, Bradford, last year.

Charlotte's letter was written on March 15, 1849, and is one of the most moving she ever wrote, expressing her feelings at the deaths of her brother Branwell and sister Emily and the onset of her sister Anne's fatal illness.

Mike Hill, director of the Haworth-based Bronte Parsonage Museum, said: "I'm delighted that Bradford Council has got behind us in this appeal.

"I'm pleased that their aim and ours is the same - to save our local heritage and provide good quality facilities.

He said: "I'm sure the Council's support will weigh heavily with the heritage lottery because the local authority is representative of local people.''

He said the level of support from people and visitors to the campaign would also influence the lottery commission in its consideration of whether to offer help.

Support is continuing to grow with donations from across the country and also from New York, Italy and Russia.

So far about £4,000 has been donated.

The Bronte Society has until June to raise the cash and has already primed the fund with a £10,000 donation.

They were also seeking grants from various organisations, including the Museums and Galleries Commission.

The Bronte Parsonage Museum holds the largest single collection of Bronte manuscripts in the world.

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