Plans to preserve the unsullied night skies of west Cornwall is gathering pace as campaigners aim to get official dark skies status.

The Dark Skies for West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly group has recently gained support from local MP Derek Thomas, and organiser Kevin Hughes has been pushing for recognition.

Mr Hughes, who sits on Zennor Parish Council and chairs Towednack Parish Council, said: "We've got amazingly dark skies, and we're part of an area of outstanding natural beauty.

"This isn't going to cost anybody anything. These are the same dark skies that have been there since the beginning of time."

He wants to make Cornwall west of the Hayle River, right up to Bishop Rock off the Scillies, a dark sky reserve, recognised by the Dark Skies Association.

He said: "There's a bid going in for Bodmin... Cornwall Council is fully supportive of the bid and there's a policy from Cornwall Council on dark skies.

"What it means is in the future any and street lighting being replaced would be replaced with dark sky friendly stuff."

All new public lighting in west Cornwall would be pointed down at the ground, with no light pollution affecting the skies above.

Mr Hughes said members of the public had raised concerns over whether they would have to turn lights off at home, and he reassured them: "We aren't ARP wardens."

He also dismissed concerns about public safety, saying a lot of west Cornwall currently managed without street lighting, and that all necessary lighting, for example at roundabouts, would stay in place. And he added that crime remained higher in well lit urban areas than in rural areas which are traditionally dark.

He is now working closely with Derek Thomas to canvas support of residents, as any successful bid for dark sky status would require a referendum with a simple majority voting in favour.

Mr Thomas has included a dark skies section in a survey he is sending to all constituents, and the results will be passed to Mr Hughes, and he said support would "open up funding from the international dark sky community."

And he said it will open up business opportunities; "There are dark sky tourists who will travel to dark sky areas, we could have that money coming in."

He said: "I can't think that people won;t support the bid. While so many people are spending taxc payers money, this isn't going to cost us anything."