Castlefield
Manchester's Science and Industry Museum 'clearly leaking like a sieve' as pictures show buckets on floor
'We take our role as guardians of these buildings very seriously and our team are working hard to look after them'
Paul Britton
Avro Shackleton plane in the hall (Image: Science and Industry Museum)
Manchester's Science and Industry Museum says it is working with the council after photographs emerged suggesting a leaking roof in the Air and Space Hall.
Buckets are shown placed out on the floor of the hall near exhibits to catch water.
In another image, a biplane is also seen covered up by tarpaulin.
The hall is in the former Lower Campfield Market on Liverpool Road, which opened in 1882 and is leased by the museum from Manchester city council.
David Gordon, who took the photos, claimed the heritage building was 'in a very poor condition and clearly leaking like a sieve'.
The free gallery houses a collection of cars, bike and planes and other transport rarities.
Buckets on the floor (Image: David Gordon)
The museum stressed the hall remained open to the public but said it was 'working with Manchester city council, who own the building, to explore sustainable options for its future'.
A spokesman told the M.E.N.: "The Science and Industry Museum inhabits some incredible heritage buildings, including the Air and Space Hall which is leased from Manchester city council.
"As a responsible organisation, we carry out repairs and maintenance on the building; on occasion essential work is required as a result of extremely rainy weather like that we have been experiencing recently.
"We take our role as guardians of these buildings very seriously and our team are working hard to look after them."
A plane covered in tarpaulin (Image: David Gordon)
The museum added that some of the photographs were taken in restricted areas that were sealed off with barriers and showed 'essential maintenance work taking place'.
Mr Gordon, 70, from Romiley, Stockport, questioned whether the building was fit to house and exhibit valuable items.
"The Air and Space Hall building, and in particular the roof, is clearly in a dilapidated state and defective, and has been seriously leaking," he said.
"The building has gone downhill over the years.
"There must have been a dozen or more buckets out catching water and I would argue that the building isn't fit for purpose.
"There are vintage cars and aircraft covered in tarpaulin."
Another of his images shows water barricade cushions on the hall's floor near exhibits.
The museum says it's working with the council (Image: David Gordon)
The museum opened in 1983 withing a collection of Grade I and II-listed buildings, part of the former Liverpool Road railway station in Castlefield, the world's first passenger railway station.
All exhibits are checked on a daily basis by trained teams, the museum added.
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The spokesman added: "We have a dedicated team of conservators at the museum who carry out an ongoing programme of preservation work.
"Daily condition checks and conservation work are conducted on the items in our care.
Essential maintenance (Image: David Gordon)
"The Air and Space Hall remains open to the public, and we are currently working with Manchester City Council, who own the building, to explore sustainable options for its future."
The museum's Grade II-listed Power Hall is currently closed for restoration due to be complete by summer 2021.
The work is part of a larger, multi-million-pound long-term plan for the museum allowing restoration and conservation work across the seven-acre site.
Museum of Science and Industry