CONSTRUCTION company Beard has given its support to plans to transform the Science Museum in Swindon.

The Museum hopes to regenerate the 545-acre site on the Second World War airfield in Wrough-ton.

At present the museum is mainly used to store artefacts for the National Museum of Science and Industry's (NMSI) other museums in London, Bradford and York.

The new museum should make more than 200,000 innovations in science and humanity accessible to everyone.

Beard has made a donation to the project, which has helped it claim a £22,500 grant from Entrust.

The company, based in Stratton St Margaret, has also vowed to help with fundraising for the project.

Managing director Mark Beard, pictured, said: "We are thrilled to support the Science Museum in Swindon in the development of a major tourist attraction for the people of Swindon and wider science community.

"We are very much looking forward to playing our small part in helping put science in Swindon on the map."

In order to go ahead, the project will need to secure a National Lottery grant, which will be decided by a televised vote later this year.

The project, which will need local and national support to go ahead, should bring a centre for the appreciation and study of science to the region.

Head of development at the Science Museum Sally Pettifer said: "We are delighted that Beard has chosen to support Science Museum Swindon.

"Our exciting project will not only provide the country with a brand new type of museum, it will also inspire future generations of scientists and engineers."

Political and business leaders have already stressed how important the museum would be for the town.

Earlier this month, Swindon Council announced it would do everything it could to make sure plans for the £61m national collection went ahead.

There were fears that without the council's support the NMSI could set up the centre in Yorkshire instead.

The Science Museum on Wroughton's former RAF base, hopes to attract an extra 500,000 visitors a year if the museum plan goes ahead.

Last May the council approved plans for the development, as long as public transport links were improved and busses were used to get people from the station to the museum, North Swindon MP Michael Wills said the project was potentially enormous for the town and its future.

"It would be tragic to lose this," he said.