WEST Dorset MP Oliver Letwin is taking a campaign to get a new HMS Dorsetshire to the top.

Mr Letwin is forming a cross-party delegation to appeal to Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon after learning of a Royal Naval Association campaign to name a new £250 million warship after the bombed Dorsetshire and restore Naval pride to the county.

Former Royal Navy personnel feared that the 350-year history of the great ship, which was instrumental in sinking the Germans' finest battleship, the Bismarck, in 1941, could be lost after 60 years with no ship carrying the name.

The last ship to bear the name was sunk by bombs from a Japanese aircraft in 1942, but although over £3 million was raised to build the new HMS Dorsetshire, a new ship was never built.

From their campaign headquarters at Number 6, High East Street in Dorchester, the people of Dorset raised an amazing £3,057,703 in subscriptions within six months - to give some idea of how much that is worth today, new Navy warships are costing £250 million apiece.

Now, after Dorchester Town Council and the Royal Naval Association's Dorchester branch kick-started the campaign, Dorset MPs are to lobby Mr Hoon for his support to name one of 12 planned new Naval warships in honour of the county.

Mr Letwin said: "I think that getting one of the new destroyers named the Dorsetshire is an absolutely wonderful idea - an admirable plan.

"I think I shall get up a round robin letter from all Dorset MPs and we will take a cross-party delegation to Geoff Hoon - the whole idea should be hard for him to resist."

South Dorset MP Jim Knight, who is a member of the Government's Defence Select Committee, said: "At the moment the Ministry of Defence is writing a new chapter to the strategic defence review to respond to the events of September 11.

"And it looks likely that all 12 new ships will be built, in the light of the new perceived threat of terrorism.

"I have spoken to both the Secretary of State and the Armed Forces Minister about the naming of the new ships and I shall certainly be a part of any campaign to name one of the ships HMS Dorsetshire."

Roy Dean, secretary of the Dorchester branch of the RNA, said: "Three ships of the new D Class have been named and it is anticipated that the next batch of ships will be ordered in 2004, so it is time to get our bid in and make sure we do everything we can to make it successful."