CAMPAIGNERS opposing cuts to local museum services are calling on local people to make their views known to the Government.

The Audit Commission, the Government's local authority watchdog, begins an inspection into Waltham Forest's cultural services on Wednesday.

In last year's comprehensive performance assessment, the commission awarded the council three out of four stars overall, and described it as "improving well".

However, cultural services, which cover arts, sports, heritage and leisure facilities, were given two stars.

Among the areas most in need of improvement were the percentage of residents who borrowed from libraries, resident satisfaction with concert halls or theatres, and the proportion of schoolchildren taking part in extra-curricular sports activities.

The service was judged to be strong in "museums accreditation" and in providing good IT facilities and a wide variety of books through the borough's libraries.

Campaigners from Anti-Scrap, who oppose plans to strip back opening hours at the Vestry House Museum and William Morris Gallery, are now encouraging anyone who feels the same to lobby the Audit Commission.

Mary Clare Martin used the Vestry House archives while she was researching her Phd thesis on child poverty in 18th and 19th century Walthamstow and Leyton.

Now a senior lecturer at the University of Greenwich, she believes local people will be deprived of an important resource.

Dr Martin said local archives are useful both for academic research and for individuals looking into their family history.

"The Vestry House archive was just amazing, and it happened to be on my doorstep," she said.

"It is a particularly rich source of manuscripts about local welfare and local families like the Poor Law records, which give a picture of who was living here over a long period.

"It is very user-friendly, and the archivists there know the archives very well."

Although the decision to cut £56,000 of funding from the museums service has been approved by the council, it will not be implemented until September.

"The Audit Commission inspection is our big chance to make an impact," Dr Martin said.

You can contact the Audit Commission by calling 7828 1212, by going online and visiting www. audit-commission.gov.uk or by writing to The Audit Commission, 1st Floor, Millbank Tower, Millbank, London SW1P-4HQ.