AROUND a dozen protesters camped outside the former Blackburn Royal Infirmary building to oppose its demolition.

Campaigners led by photographer Mick Duckworth, from Shadsworth, had been hoping around 200 people would turn up at the decaying War Memorial wing on Saturday morning.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s planning committee has approved proposals by the charity Community Integrated Care for a 64-bed old people’s home on the site.

Mr Duckworth, 27, said: “The turnout was a bit of a letdown but the support we had from people and cars going past was very good.

“The building has been vandalised but, structurally, I think it’s not unstable and we were always led to believe it would remain.”

Council and CIC bosses agreed that the building, where demolition is expected to begin today, was too damaged to be salvaged and said its heritage would be preserved in the new scheme.