A TOWERING piece of Wrexham’s industrial heritage could soon be used for a new purpose - mountaineering training.

Last month the Leader reported that politician Dr John Marek was looking to hand over a 120-foot high chimney which he owns in Tuttle Street.

The structure has been in Dr Marek’s possession for more than 20 years, when he saved it from planned demolition.

However Dr Marek has decided the time has come to pass it on to the next generation and he was asking for people interested to get in contact.

Now the North East Wales Mountaineering Club has declared an interest, saying the chimney may be able to serve a useful purpose.

A spokesman for the club said: “We would need to know more about it in terms of issues such as height and overall size. But if everything is positive we could possibly utilise it for training. There could also be other potential uses such as storage.

“We can’t commit to anything at this stage without knowing more about the chimney. We would like to meet Dr Marek and have a chat with him, talk it through to see if taking over ownership would be practical.”

Dr Marek said he had received a couple of tentative enquiries over the chimney and felt the possible involvement of the mountaineering club was an interesting development.

“I would certainly be happy to meet with them and discuss the matter further.”

Dr Marek stressed there is no need for applicants to have specialised knowledge and he would be willing to pay the legal fees involved in transferring ownership.

The chimney dates back to 1894 when it was built as part of the Soames Brewery.

It closed in 1984 with the demise of the Border brewery.

l Anyone interested in the chimney should write to Dr Marek, care of the Leader, King Street, Wrexham, LL11 1HR.