AS rows concerning the location of the Swindon and Wiltshire Records Office continue, Wiltshire county councillors have stepped up their bid to locate it in Chippenham rather than their original choice of Devizes.

At the county council's annual meeting on Tuesday, they voted to adopt the cattle market site in Cocklebury Road as the preferred site for the new office.

Devizes will remain the county's second choice. But Devizes county councillor Margaret Taylor was furious that her last ditch attempt to keep the bid in the town had failed to attract support from other councillors in the area.

At Tuesday's meeting, held at County Hall, Trowbridge, she put an amendment that Devizes be returned to first choice of venue for the new home for the county's historic archives.

But although she received support from one of her colleagues in the Labour group, no Conservative councillor from the Devizes community area would vote for it, instead going along with the majority choice of the cattle market site.

The previous favourite location for the office was the Wharf in Devizes.

Coun Taylor said: "Devizes deserves, even at this late stage, to be considered as first choice. The findings of two independent surveys chose Devizes as first site."

Coun Jerry Willmott, member for Lavington and Coun Tony Molland, member for Avon and Cannings, were among those who voted against Mrs Taylor's amendment. Coun Willmott said: "I, as leader of Kennet District Council, and other council members tried seriously to make the record office plan for Devizes work while it was a viable proposition.

"But it is now obvious the Heritage Lottery Fund do not consider the Devizes Wharf site as viable.

"It is incumbent on all of us to try to keep the record office in Wiltshire."

County council leader Peter Chalke said it was important that the county did not lose its historical records because of arguments about its location.

"Originally Chippenham was not our first choice and Devizes was, but Chippenham is now acceptable to all parties involved. We must go for it or run the risk of the records being put in a lorry and being taken to London," he said.

The record office is currently housed in the former Airsprung bed factory opposite County Hall in Trowbridge.

The Chippenham Livestock Market site off Cocklebury Road is owned by North Wiltshire District Council. It is part of a larger area to the north and south of the main road which is currently under investigation in a development brief.

Coun Philip Allnatt said he was delighted that Chippenham has been confirmed as the county's preferred option, but asked for assurance that the project would be financially viable.

Coun Nancy Bryant said Chippenham had excellent access via road and rail and urged everyone to back the proposal.