World famous Bronte Parsonage Museum could struggle to survive under controversial Government proposals to alter Gift Aid, its manager has warned.

Alan Bentley said the future of the moorland home at Haworth, where the Brontes wrote their classic novels, would be difficult if the Treasury tinkered with the scheme.

National Trust bosses, who run East Riddlesden Hall in Keighley are also opposed to the plan.

And volunteers who run a nearby rail carriages museum in Keighley, say it would also impact on their financial situation.

Bronte Parsonage Museum director Mr Bentley wrote to MPs after Chancellor Gordon Brown announced he intended to stop charitable attractions claiming tax rebates on admission fees.

With Gift Aid, every £1 a UK taxpayer pays is worth an extra 28p to museums - worth £34,500 a year to the Bronte Parsonage Museum, which opened in 1895.

But the new scheme would depend on visitors donating an additional ten per cent on top of admission.

To persuade visitors to stump up this cash, they could be offered a year's free membership.

But this would reduce income if people visited more than once and it also risks infuriating existing members for whom this is a perk, Mr Bentley said.

His letter was read out to the Commons during the Finance Bill debate, which involved a Conservative attempt to scupper the Chancellor's bid to re-draw the rules on Gift Aid.

Mr Bentley wrote: "It is very unlikely that we will be able to continue to use the scheme in the way that we do now as I do not think that many of our visitors will give the extra 10 per cent and the need to allow 12 months entry undermines other benefits for our membership, which is the life blood of the organisation." He added that the museum, which has about 83,000 visitors a year, may have to increase prices to cover the £34,500 shortfall.

Jackie Cope of the Museum of Rail Travel at Ingrow Keighley said their income was much smaller than the Parsonage but the money they claimed back was significant.

"We are disappointed that what we thought was a concession towards our valuable work in giving education and enjoyment to people, is to be taken away."

She could not see people wanting to pay ten per cent extra to help the museum qualify for the concession.

A National Trust spokesman said the proposed ten per cent alternative scheme to qualify for Gift Aid was better than nothing.

"But it will make pricing very complex and we remain disappointed that the Government is targeting us in this way," he said.