UP to 600 teachers could lose their jobs under a raft of school closures and amalgamations planned in County Durham, unions warned today.

The National Union of Teachers said it was demanding talks with the local education authority which has announced a £300m education shake-up.

A ten to 15 year strategy aimed at tackling the problem of falling pupil numbers has identified 23 schools across the county for possible closure and a further 94 which could be merged with others nearby.

Last night Trevor Blacklock, the NUT's divisional secretary for County Durham, said: "We are seeking negotiations with the education authority over this.

"If it goes ahead you are talking towards 600 teaching jobs which could be lost.

"You could also have communities split two or three ways with pupils going to different schools which is going to cause a lot of concern.

"We realise that these are not final plans but they are there in black and white nevertheless and will terrify the living daylights out of a lot of people."

David Thurlwell, headteacher of closure-threatened Sherburn Hill Primary School, near Durham, which has capacity for 120 pupils and 37 surplus places, said: "The next step is consultation with schools and communities. "I don't know the logistics, except we've been asked to reply by July 18.

"We are going to have an emergency governors meeting to consider our response.

"The governors I have spoken to are all quite unanimous in that they don't want this to go ahead."

Apart from Mr Thurlwell there are four full-time teachers whose jobs are at risk as well as two specialist teachers and support assistants who help to teach hearing impaired youngsters.

The Northern Echo understands that Durham County Council has set a minimum three year timescale before any final decisions are made on closures, allowing many threatened schools a stay of execution.

Council spokesman Frazer Davie said: "We would like everyone who has an interest in the provision of schools in their community to have a say on this before we publish more detailed plans.

"Even in the most urgent cases any closures will be years rather than months away."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) said that said any objections to closures would be considered by a schools organisation committee drawn from the council, governors and other groups.

If it was unable to decide unanimously on the future of a school the final decision would lie with an independent schools adjudicator appointed by the secretary of state whose decision was binding.