Darlington'S biggest secondary school is in line for a £15m facelift.

Hummersknott Language College, with 1,200-plus pupils, is in such a state education officials fear a major plant failure could mean temporary closure.

Senior councillors will next week be asked to agree to invest £3m in the revamp. The rest would be paid for with Government funding, for which the council intends to bid.

It is hoped its own share would come from the sale of surplus land resulting from the closure or replacement of existing schools.

The scale of the problem at Hummersknott is such that large areas would be demolished and replaced and the rest massively refurbished.

Tuesday's cabinet meeting will be told that "significant capital investment" is needed in the borough's schools.

Children's services director Margaret Asquith said the council had invested just under £80m in its schools since 1999, mainly in the primary sector. "We have not been able to make the same level of investment in secondary schools," she said.

A long-term strategy for secondary education was being formed, but Darlington would not be in the Government's Building Schools for the Future programme for some years.

So with no certainty of this funding, the authority had looked at other sources of finance and seen a potential bidding opportunity as part of the Targeted Capital Fund. This bid had to be in by April 28.

Mrs Asquith said Hummersknott was by far the worst school in the town. "The mechanical and electrical infrastructure of the building needs major investment. If there was a major failure, it is likely the school would have to close for repairs."

Mrs Asquith said Hummersknott was a popular and successful school with applications always exceeding the number of available places. Exam grades were above the national average and officers believed that, with better premises, this success could increase.

Mrs Asquith said the school's sheer size, popularity and performance removedd any idea of closure. "There is a clear need for capital investment."

Headteacher Pat Howarth said: "The scheme is a tremendous opportunity to transform Hummersknott College."