AN art gallery director has called for a lasting tribute to a former Darwen artist after discovering his old house is due to be demolished.

Mary Gavagan, who organised the current James H Morton exhibition at Lancaster University, said there had be an overwheming response to the collection from Darreners.

She said that after the exhibition was featured in an article in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, hundreds more life drawings had come to light and they were considering a second exhibition.

But she said her main aim was to have something to mark the life of Mr Morton, who died five days before the First World War ended.

Today council bosses and Darwen Civic Society said they were willing to consider the idea.

The house in Sudell Road has been earmarked for demolition as part of the Elevate housing renewal scheme and is bricked up.

Mr Morton was born in 1881 in Tockholes Road and won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London before becoming an art teacher in Yorkshire. He was killed aged 37 as he tried to rescue an American soldier.

Mr Morton asked his four sisters to keep his artwork together if he died but after the last one died in 1967, the paintings were auctioned in Blackburn and ended up scattered across the country.

During the exhibition at the Peter Scott Gallery, Lancaster, which runs until June 3, people have been able to see his collection all in one place.

Ms Gavagan said: "I was shown the house James used to live in and sadly it was earmarked for demolition.

In another town they may have put up a blue plaque.

"He does really need to be recognised as someone who was of tremendous regional importance for visual arts. There aren't that many people who had such tremendous potential. His artwork is testimony to what he might have been."

Harry Devonport, assistant director (strategy and performance) at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "Consultation about the scope of the academy is ongoing. We would be happy to discuss the placement of a suitable plaque or memorial within the academy with the lady concerned."

Darwen Civic Society president Sally Haworth said: "We would definitely consider putting up a plaque in the vicinity. I will put it on the agenda for the meeting at the end of the month."