TIGER Bay star Hayley Mills has offered her support for the fundraising effort to secure a Heritage Lottery Fund grant for Newport’s Transporter Bridge.

The actress is the honorary life vice president of the Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge (FONTB) and has great affection for the bridge after shooting a scene on it in her BAFTA winning performance in Tiger Bay in 1958. She has pledged to make a contribution to the fundraising bid.

In an email to FONTP chairman David Hando, she said: "I have come to appreciate the bridge over the years. It’s magnificent and it’s very important that it’s still working so people today can visit it and experience the excitement of it, as it has been for over a hundred years.

"It’s a wonderful opportunity to receive a Heritage Lottery Fund grant and we have to do all we can to try our best to make this happen.

"I hope people join the Friends and donate whatever they can, however little. Collectively it will make an enormous difference. I thank people for their generosity."

To receive Heritage Lottery Funding, Newport City Council must demonstrate that there is a local interest in the Transporter Bridge. To do this, the bid for stage two funding requires the council to raise £100,000.

FONTB have pledged to raise £10,000 to support the council's bid, and have raised £4,000 since June.

A recent book sale at the visitor centre raised £150.

In April, Newport City Council received a £1million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The money is set to be spent mainly on structural repairs.

FONTB chairman David Hando said: "It is got to be constantly maintained. The grant will also be used for improving the surroundings of the bridge, extending the car park and improving the visitor centre."

To help the fundraising effort, you can join the Friends or make a contribution to them.

The council has a JustGiving page: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/newporttransporterbridge1