CAMPAIGNERS calling for the bow and stern of Newport's medieval ship, pictured, to be saved are to present a 6,000 signature to council chiefs tomorrow.

And The Friends of the Newport Ship group have a new backer - national pub chain JD Wetherspoon.

Campaigners will gather at the Cambrian Road Wetherspoon pub on Tuesday evening, where bar staff will wear specially commissioned T-shirt to raise public awareness about the bow and stern.

The SOS (Save Our Stern) petition will then be passed to the city council for consideration.

As previously reported, experts believe the stern of the ship - discovered in the summer by contractors working on the theatre and arts site - was destroyed at least two centuries ago.

And they say the bow of the ship is likely to be so badly damaged that removing it is impossible.

But George Lambrick, director of the council for British archaeology, said: "This must be challenged and scientifically tested.

"Even if these parts are not well preserved, they could provide vital evidence of how the ship was constructed and what she looked like."

Campaigners argue that without the missing parts the medieval ship will never be complete and valuable knowledge about its construction, speed and steering could be lost forever.

Jan Preece, co-founder of Save Our Ship, said officials' decision not to salvage the ship's bow and stern proved the council's "tragic lack of vision".

Mr Preece, curator of the Pill Heritage Project, added: "Most cities around the world would give their eye teeth to have this sort of opportunity but it's down to the lack of vision of the council."

The exposed timbers of the ship removed from the site so far are being stored at the Corus-Llanwern steelworks.

Construction work has started on the basement orchestra pit, and the steel of the cofferdam will let more excavations to be made in the bow and stern areas.

Friends of the Newport Ship want supporters to join them at Wetherspoon's and write to MPs, AMs and the leader of the council urging them to back their campaign.

The Save Our Stern, will be held at JD Wetherspoon's tomorrow at 6pm.