A PLAY park built in memory of a four-year-old County Durham girl is not under threat despite school merger plans.

John and Michelle Ord helped raise £25,000 for the facility at Murton Nursery School following the death in a road accident of their daughter Aleisha almost three years ago.

But fears for the future of the play park arose when Durham County Council recently announced the merger and relocation of a number of schools in Murton.

Yesterday, Mrs Ord said she had now been given an assurance that the park would not close in any merger plans.

It was late last year that the council confirmed its plans to reorganise Murton and Murton Jubilee Primary Schools and Murton Nursery School into one unit by September next year.

The move is among a series of proposals to tackle what Durham council describes as crippling levels of surplus primary school places.

Residents in the area will be given the opportunity to voice their views on the proposals for Murton at a public meeting on Wednesday, January 28, in the village's Glebe Centre, at 7pm.

And while all options are still being considered, there were genuine fears that any mergers could result in the loss of the park.

Aleisha died in May 2001 and her death devastated her close-knit family.

In a determined bid to create a permanent memorial to the youngster, Mr and Mrs Ord organised a fundraising campaign to establish the nursery fun park.

"I have been told that whatever happens, the play park will be transferred piece by piece to any new location,'' said a relieved Mrs Ord.

The couple now have a one-year-old daughter, Amelia May, and a newly-born son Ethan James.

"We hope both our children will be able to attend the new school and play in Aleisha's memorial park," said Mrs Ord