A SCHOOL which lost its fight to stay open is closing in a blaze of light.

One thousand candles will be lit at a Roman Catholic mass to celebrate the 45-year life of St Anthony's RC School, Middlesbrough, which has surplus places. Its motto is Let Your Light Shine.

The Right Reverend John Crowley, Bishop of Middlesbrough, will celebrate mass, even though anti-closure campaigners accuse the RC Diocesan Trustees of allowing the school to close.

The mass will launch a 19-day festival of events at the end of the summer term.

Headteacher Maureen McLean said: "We fought long and hard to keep our school open because we believe in it and would continue to do so if it was allowed to stay open.

"The school is not a building, it is a community and we have so much to celebrate; the whole cross-section of society that has come to this school and gone on to contribute to society.

"It is about people, it is a celebration of everything that has gone on. We want to make sure the school closes on a positive note."

Mrs McLean took over after her predecessor, Chris Griffiths, took early retirement following sick leave.

Parents' spokesman Ian McGurkin said: "With this festival they are all putting a brave face on it but it is very sad; they all wanted the school to stay open. The school has done sterling work for the last year under very difficult circumstances.''

Neighbouring Keldholme and Langbaurgh schools are to be eventually demolished to make way for a city academy. St Anthony's pupils will go to St David's School, Acklam, and St Peter's.