OLD cobbles under a modern street could be revealed to show part of historic Dorchester.

Alistair Chisholm, president of the towns Chamber of Commerce, said Durngate Street was an important route dating from the towns Roman origins.

He said: "We know there are cobbles under the Tarmac.

"They turn up whenever someone has to dig a hole in the road in fact some nearly got thrown away when that happened not long ago.

"I don't suppose that they date back as far as the Romans they are more likely to be 18th century.

"There aren't any original old road surfaces in the town as far as I know and it would be nice if at least part of that street could be exposed to show what people walked on in the past."

The Chamber of Commerce has asked Dorchester Joint Heritage Committee to pursue the idea and found backing from other members, who include representatives from the town council, West Dorset District Council and heritage organisations.

Mr Chisholm said it was hoped that the line of the Roman road that led to the Roman bathhouse could also be marked on the surface of Durngate Street.

The Roman street surface lies well below the Tarmac of the modern road, which runs east from South Street.

The heritage committee is asking Dorset County Council, which is responsible for highways, to see if the original cobbles could be exposed or if a similar surface be laid instead.

A spokesman for the county council said the proposals would be considered.

He said: "We would recommend that they also send them to the town and district councils to confirm their support and identify possible sources of finance to assist the county council in taking forward any scheme."

The county council has no specific funds for this type of work and it would most likely be that any scheme would have to be combined with future maintenance works to renew the surface.