PARENTS are demanding a meeting with their local education authority over plans to merge two primary schools.

The move follows a public meeting in Eldon, near Bishop Auckland, on Tuesday night, when parents voiced concerns at a possible merger of Eldon Lane Primary School and Dene Valley Primary.

Durham County Council wants to close down the schools and re-house them in a new building by 2005.

But parents from Eldon Lane say they do not want the upheaval of moving their children.

More than 30 parents turned out at the One Stop Shop, in Eldon, to discuss the situation with councillors.

One mother said: "I do not think that some of the parents realise just how serious this is. If they realised that they were looking at closing the school then they would literally chain themselves to the railings. We have a good school. Why change it?''

The chairman of Dene Valley Parish Council, Councillor Chris Foote Wood, offered to set up a meeting between the parents and county council representatives to discuss concerns, and parents agreed to this.

County councillor Phil Graham, who represents the area, said he would have liked to have been at Tuesday's meeting.

He said: "I have no objections to meeting with parents before Christmas if this is what they want to do.

"What I must stress is that no decision has been made. The public consultation process is yet to start and parents will get the opportunity to put their concerns forward.

"There are a lot of things that still need to be discussed. I would not let a decision be taken without myself or parents having our say.''