A plea for National Trust funding to help restore a Bermuda-style building in the Turks and Caicos islands is likely to fall on deaf ears.

Brothers Ian and Michael Dunn, who own the White House on Salt Cay, want to employ their cousin Sanders Frith-Brown to fix a severely damaged Bermuda-style limestone roof in the British Caribbean territory, 575 miles southeast of Miami.

The brothers have written to the Bermuda National Trust to appeal for help with the $60,000 cost to restore the building which was built by Bermudian Daniel Harriott in about 1830 for his family and to store salt - the mainstay of the islands' economy at that time.

Ian Dunn said the building was "an unmistakable symbol of Bermuda's influence on and connection to the Turks Islands".

"The White House, although physically situated in the Turks islands is an important and irreplaceable part of Bermuda's history and heritage."

Much of the stone on the roof came from Bermuda said Mr. Dunn, as ballast after ships had come to the Island from Bermuda to collect salt.

He said the local government and the local National Trust could not help with the project.

His letter to the Bermuda National Trust was also sent to The Royal Gazette.

Last night Bermuda National Trust Director Amanda Outerbridge said: "Having just received the proposal for the restoration of the White House on Salt Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands, I will need to do some research on the subject.

"Even with Bermuda links, restoration of a property overseas does not appear to be within our remit.

"However, I will discuss this further with the appropriate people, and will follow Mr. Dunn's lead and copy The Royal Gazette in on our correspondence."

Local builder Mr. Frith-Brown, who recently splashed out more than $2 million on a wool farm in Tasmania one and a half times the size of Bermuda, stands to make a tidy sum from the venture.

The estimate for his 15 days' work puts him on a daily rate of $750 a day, plus money for accommodation and food.

Despite being a member of the National Trust, Mr. Frith Brown recently labelled the charity as being "ill-informed, hypocritical and ignorant when it comes to matters on renovation and restoration".

Last night Mr. Frith-Brown could not be reached for comment.