YOUNG voices will be raised at tomorrow's Durham Miners' Gala in opposition to the threatened closure of a village primary school.

More than 20 pupils of Browney Primary School, in Meadowfield, near Durham, and their parents, will join the community to march behind the local miners' lodge banner in the traditional Big Meeting parade.

They will carry the school flag alongside the former Browney Colliery banner in the parade from North Road, Durham.

On the way to the Racecourse field for the speeches, they plan to sing the school anthem, Raise the Banner, in front of dignitaries on the balcony of the Royal County Hotel, in Old Elvet.

Browney Primary is among 23 schools which may close under the county council's widespread education shake-up announced last month in a bid to remove surplus places.

The school, serving neighbouring villages of Brandon, Langley Moor and Meadowfield, south-west of Durham, has a capacity of 145 places, but has 63 surplus places, 16 of which will be taken up in coming years.

But protestors said the school has received an excellent Ofsted inspection report, developed new facilities for children with special needs and achieved an Investors' in People award.

Parents and governors launched a campaign to save the school.

A parents' association was formed and 3,000 local homes were leafleted urging families to keep sending their children to Browney School while the campaign proceeds.

Mike Henderson, a father of two Browney pupils and vice-chairman of governors, said: "Someone at the recent meeting suggested joining the parade behind the local banner at the gala and we've taken it from there.

"There's an affinity between the school and the former mining community because the colliery banner is stored at the school.

"There's nothing the matter with this school and we think with the number of houses being built up in Nevilles Cross, it will have a knock-on effect among primary schools in the area, making a good argument for the school to stay open."

Children in tomorrow's parade will wear school jumpers and parents will don specially-made 'Save our School' T-shirts.