Rutland and Stamford MP Alicia Kearns has shared a statement as the 'Save the Rutland Sea Dragon' petition reaches over 1,500 signatures required for Rutland County Council to debate the matter.

The petition, which has now reached over 2,000 signatures, was made by the Friends of Rutland County Museum and Oakham Castle with Alicia Kearns urging the council to reopen discussions to bring the ichthyosaur fossil back to Rutland.

In her statement, Kearns said: 'Rutlanders have spoken loud and clear - our Sea Dragon belongs here, where it was discovered, and must be protected for future generations with Rutland's economy reaping the benefits.

'Thank you to everyone who added their name to our petition. Together, we've secured a debate at full council - now it's over to Rutland Council to look again, they reallocated the money without any discussion or consultation - it needs to be a genuine debate where they've looked again rather than dismissing Rutlands' concerns.'

However, in a statement to Nub News on 10 June, Rutland County Council said 'we know the importance of the Rutland Sea Dragon and understand the strength of feeling around displaying the fossil locally.

'Unfortunately, the economic outlook has worsened considerably since we set out budget in February. Inflation, supply chain and construction costs have all risen, meaning the project we budgeted for is no longer affordable.

'We are facing added cost pressures of £1m or more if we proceed with acquiring the Sea Dragon, paying for its conservation and adapting the museum to display it. That's £1m in addition to £6m of council money and £1.8m government money that we have already set aside in our budget.

'We would love to see the fossil displayed in Rutland and will do what we can to support this without compromising our budget and exposing the council to long-term financial risk.

advertisement

'We also have an obligation to taxpayers to demonstrate best value for public money and ensure our limited financial resources are used in a way that is most beneficial to residents and communities.'