HERITAGE chiefs in Worcester have said changes in the way the Government controls Lottery funds, resulting in decreases in grants, would be a blow for the city.

Iain Rutherford, Worcester City Council's museum, arts and heritage manager, said the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) was a vital source of funding for the city's museums and any decrease would be felt.

It comes as mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has written to Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell raising objections to the forthcoming National Lottery Bill.

The Bill will streamline the distribution of Lottery grants by formalising the merger of the New Opportunities Fund, the Community Fund and the Millennium Commission into a single distributor - the Big Lottery Fund.

But Mr Luff fears it will give Ministers the opportunity to take money away from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Mr Rutherford said the HLF had been ''extremely beneficial'' to Worcester, granting about £340,000 to the city museum and art gallery for its Worcestershire Soldier exhibition - which opened last year.

It also awarded civil war museum The Commandery, in Sidbury, Worcester, £985,000 for a full-scale refurbishment, due to start this year.

"These are significant amounts of money and obviously if there's any reduction we'd be very disappointed," said Mr Rutherford.

"We have to rely on external sources of funding and at the moment the HLF provides the lion's share."

A spokeswoman for English Heritage - which owns Witley Court in Great Witley- said the changes were unfair.

"Specific projects wouldn't be affected, but it may mean in the future there's less money for heritage projects because if the clause goes through it will allow the Government to claw back unspent money and distribute it to other bodies.

"The reason we think that's unfair is heritage projects, by their very nature, often need a long planning period to get things right."

Mr Luff - who is also chairman of the council of Worcester Cathedral - said it was working hard to end the £80,000 deficit it currently has, which would mean needing more help from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

"The state rightly insists these magnificent buildings are maintained to a high standard but does little to support them," he said.