CASH earmarked for communities is being diverted to the £3.3 million Staffordshire Hoard fund.

All 62 county councillors in Staffordshire have been invited to contribute to the campaign to keep the Hoard in the region by dipping into their individual £10,000 local community fund (LCF).

The LCF scheme was set up to allow councillors to contribute towards projects in their own wards, such as youth clubs and pensioners' groups.

But cabinet members have defended using the LCF to boost the Hoard campaign, saying the authority will be making a donation out of its central funds as well.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has already announced it will be donating £100,000 to ensure part of the Hoard stays at the Potteries Museum, which has welcomed 52,400 visitors to its first exhibition of the find.

But the county council has yet to announce how much it will be contributing before the April 17 deadline.

It comes as the National Heritage Memorial Fund is expected to make a large contribution to retain the Hoard at a meeting on Tuesday.

Mo Chaudry, deputy chairman and ambassador for Destination Staffordshire, believes the whole of the county, and not just Hanley, could benefit if the Hoard is secured.

He said: "Alton Towers is by far the biggest tourist attraction in Staffordshire, but we try to disperse visitors around the county so everyone benefits. We should do the same with the Hoard."

Dr Nigel Tringham, who lectures in Anglo-Saxon and local history at Keele University, says the huge interest shown in the Hoard demonstrates how important it is to all the people of Staffordshire.

He said: "The queues we've seen at the Potteries Museum show how much loyalty people have to the historical Staffordshire."

County councillor Ben Adams, cabinet member for communities and culture, said the authority would be making an announcement about its Hoard donation soon.

Mr Adams said: "The county council will be making a contribution, as will some other councils in the region. But local members want to do what they can as well.

"Some councillors have already promised some of their LCF for next year. Some I've spoken to in Tamworth and Lichfield have been happy to make a contribution and help keep the Hoard in the region."

But councillors expressed concerns about diverting LCF cash away from local schemes.

Christina Jebb, pictured, who represents Biddulph South and Endon, said: "Because the Hoard is so important to Staffordshire, I think the money should come from mainstream funding."

Derrick Huckfield, councillor for Porthill and Bradwell, said he would not be using any of his local community money to contribute.

He said: "I represent Porthill and Bradwell, and so at the end of the day this £10,000 is supposed to be for the people of that area."

Hugh Edwards, chairman of pottery firm Moorcroft, said he was surprised to learn the county council had not made a contribution to the Staffordshire Hoard campaign fund.

He said: "People still talk about the Sutton Hoo treasure, so I'm sure they will talk about the Staffordshire Hoard for many years to come, but it would be a shame if Staffordshire County Council was remembered for not contributing to the campaign."