If people are proud of the Potteries and proud of its industry they ought to back this idea

Geoffrey Snow, stockbroker

Mr Snow, a partner in the Hanley-based stockbroking firm, Popes, has called on 40 of the county's leading businessmen and women to donate �25,000 into a charitable fund.

Cash raised from the scheme would be used to help purchase some of the rarer items and prevent them falling into the hands of private collectors, possibly outside the UK.

"We don't want our heritage to be sold off.

"If people are proud of the Potteries and proud of its industry they ought to back this idea," said Mr Snow.

If the organisation achieved charitable status then local people would be willing to donate smaller sums, he said.

Royal Doulton, which employs 5,000 people worldwide, has struggled over the last several years, and recently made a number of its Staffordshire-based workers redundant.

Minton masterpieces

The company has defended its stance over the auctions saying it does not have the facilities to display all the items.

But Mr Snow believes Royal Doulton should consider working with any new organisation to keep the pieces in the region and display them at such venues as the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.

Last year the company made �500,000 selling off so-called pilot pieces, usually figures which will not be mass-produced.

But Mr Snow said that policy amounted to "dipping into the history of the company" and should be stopped.

Bonhams has confirmed the sale, entitled Masterpieces of Minton and containing 400 lots, will go ahead on 30 April.