FIRST World War commemoration organisers will return to Stoke-on-Trent to decide if some of the 888,000 Tower of London poppies should come to the Potteries.

The city was snubbed as one of the initial venues for the touring exhibition, chosen by the 14-18 NOW committee.

However, around 800 readers of the local newspaper, The Sentinel, signed a petition demanding the ceramic poppies are brought to the Potteries – and given Stoke-on-Trent’s links to the original Tower of London project – the people of North Staffordshire could still get to see the display.

Councillor Abi Brown, leader of the Conservatives on Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We put in a bid for a particular time slot, which was unsuccessful.

However, the strength of our bid, and the special relationship with Stoke-on-Trent, led 14-18 NOW to make a clear statement that they remain keen to bring the poppies to the region and have committed to visit Stoke-on-Trent and other regional bidders to review the potential sites and discuss proposals in more detail.

“Following 14-18 NOW’s announcement, I did write to them expressing our disappointment at the initial decision.

“But I’m looking forward to welcoming them to the city to review what we have to offer.

“Stoke-on-Trent is a great location, with an important history with regards to the Great War and the essential role the city has played in the creation of this iconic work.”

The are two artistic installations made up of ceramic poppies – The Wave and The Weeping Window – which will tour the country between 2016 and 2018. Stoke-on-Trent has bid for The Weeping Window to be installed at Bethesda Chapel in Hanley.

Stoke-on-Trent’s links to the project are through Etruria firm Potclays supplying the clay used to make the poppies, and staff at Tunstall’s Johnson Tiles making about half of the ceramic flowers by hand.

The campaign has been backed by West Midlands MEP Dan Dalton.

Dalton said: “It would be great, not just for Stoke-on-Trent, but for the whole of the Midlands.

“The installation had a massive impact when it was in London and it could have the same affect here.

“It makes sense to bring it to Stoke-on-Trent, because it is coming home – most of the clay came from here and half the poppies were made here.”

First World War historian Callan Chevin, aged 23, of Blurton – author of Hell at Hohenzollern: Staffordshire’s Blackest Day – said: “It’s vitally important the poppies come to Stoke-on-Trent. In this area we lost 13,000 men in the First World War, which for a city of around 250,000 people is a lot.”