HARTLEBURY Castle and its contents could be made more accessible to visitors after the Bishop of Wor-cester moves out next year, according to West Worcestershire MP Peter Luff.

Mr Luff visited the castle and its library and thinks the building could make a much greater contribution to the celebration of the county's history.

Mr Luff said: "There is a lot of attention being focused on the future of the famous Hurd Library and its books. This is understandable since the collection and its location constitute a remarkable piece of history in its own right. I believe, however, the future of the library cannot be separated from the future of Hartlebury Castle itself. At present part of the building is used for the county museum, which is enjoying increasing success, part comprises the state rooms and Hurd Library to which some public access is possible, and a third part houses the bishop's private residence.

"I hope that with some imagination and willingness on all sides we can restore the integrity of the whole building and in-crease public access to all parts of the castle." How-ever, Mr Luff said he understood doing this would be a challenge as Worcestershire County Council is under considerable financial pressure and the Church Commis-sioners, who must decide the future of the building, have their own very clear responsibilities.

Margaret Snook, head of cultural services at the county council, said they were currently looking at all options open to them.