A COUPLE who were ready to give up their daughter for the sake of her education have won the fight to get her into their school of choice.

Determined James and Stella Coils were ready to transfer guardianship of their ten-year-old daughter to a relative who lived in the catchment area of Hartlepool's Manor College of Technology.

The couple today said they "both had a good cry" after being told that daughter Rebecca can attend the school.

The couple has said they were willing to transfer guardianship of Rebecca to her great aunt, who lives in the catchment area, after the youngster was denied a place at their top choice school.

But after going head-to-head in a round of tense appeal hearings the couple got the news they wanted to hear.

Rebecca will not now have to live with her great aunt, Mary Holland, 54, who lives only half a mile from Manor College of Technology, in Owton Manor Lane.

Mrs Coils said: "We were very emotional and we had a cry."

Mr Coils, who works for Orange, said: "We are over the moon. The relief was astonishing.

"It's still sinking in. The amount of heartache and aggravation we went through, it's indescribable relief."

The couple filled out a selection form in March listing in order of preference the town's six secondary schools.

They were dismayed to discover that Rebecca, an Eldon Grove Primary School pupil, had been given a place at St Hild's School, in King Oswy Drive, five miles away from their home in Glentower Grove, Seaton Carew.

They rejected the offer and appealed against it in a determined bid to get Rebecca into Manor or other preferred schools on their initial list.

A council spokesman said: "We can confirm that the appeal has been upheld by an independent panel and the council acknowledges that decision."