CONSERVATIONISTS will be given £50,000 to help pay for the restoration of three World War One aircraft hangars.

The cash will be used for the refurbishment of the historic structures, in Hooton, near Ellesmere Port.

It comes from a brand new stream of funding which aims to save threatened heritage sites.

The Hooton Hangars, which are maintained by the Hooton Park Trust, were built during the Great War with a planned lifespan of just five years, but were recommissioned for use during World War Two.

They stand on a former RAF airfield where more than 10,000 military aircraft were assembled, with the majority of the site now occupied by the Vauxhall Motor Company.

The hangars have been listed as “at risk” for several years.

Graham Sparkes, from the Hooton Park Trust, said: “The Hooton Hangars are one of a very small number of World War One hangars still remaining, and there are years of valuable and intriguing history on the site.

“It is vital we save the structure and keep it accessible for the wider community.”

The grant came from WREN, part of a new heritage fund which helps to protect Grade I and II* listed buildings and structures of historical importance across the UK.