PARENTS opposed to the closure of two primary schools have expressed disappointment at the decision to go ahead with the plan.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has confirmed that St Andrew's RC Primary School and St Peter's RC Primary School, in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, will merge and open on one site in September.

Paul Terry, a spokesman for the action group Fight Back, said a petition of more than 600 names had been submitted, and that 300 people had written letters of opposition because St Andrew's was one of the top-performing primary schools in the country.

He said: "We are a bit stunned about the decision to close St Andrew's Roman Catholic Primary School.

"Parents at the school are extremely disappointed and saddened at the outcome, and the reality of closing this outstanding school is only just beginning to hit home.

"Parents hope that the new Roman Catholic primary school can achieve the same academic success as St Andrew's and that every effort is made to build on the firm foundations that presently exist at the school for the good of all the children that will be attending."

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's school organisation committee approved the move after the Roman Catholic Diocese for Middlesbrough made the decision to use the St Peter's site for the merged school.

A committee made up of councillors, school governors, and representatives from the Roman Catholic Diocese for Middlesbrough and the Anglican Diocese of York heard views from both schools at a two-hour meeting at James Finegan Hall, Eston.

The decision to approve the proposals needed to have unanimous agreement from the groups on the committee or the issue would have been referred to a Government-appointed school adjudicator.

The committee chairman, Councillor Steve Kay, said: "For us to come to a reasoned judgement, it was extremely valuable to have the contributions from those interested parties.

"It then took some time for all the constituent groups to come to a decision, therefore it was obvious to me it was not a decision taken lightly.

"I hope from this day onwards, the whole community can work together to create a successful primary school."