DRINKERS at a village pub are raising their glasses - and cash - to help a school's bid for specialist maths and computing status.

Ron and Gill Nixon, who run The Comet pub in Hurworth Place, near Darlington, are supporting the fundraising efforts of staff and pupils at Hurworth School.

So far, the pub has raised more than £200 by selling a variety of drink and pub related novelties.

Mrs Nixon said: "We are carrying on until either they reach their deadline or we run out of things to sell."

However, the school's bid is not going well and a meeting to gauge support for the appeal last week failed to attract more than a dozen people.

On Thursday, the school invited residents to The Grange Community Centre to hear how the school and the community would benefit from the specialist status.

Despite notices in the village newsletter and letters sent to feeder school parents, only 12 people turned up to hear a presentation by acting headteacher Carol Ellis.

The school is £21,000 short of the £50,000 target before a specialist bid can be made. If the cash is not raised in the next 11 weeks, the bid will fail, with a £20,000 Training and Enterprise Council grant towards the target.

A call was made to businesses in the area to support the school. Mrs Ellis, said: "Gifts in kind count towards the target, so the donation of a minibus could be the answer."

Anyone wishing to help the bid can contact the school on (01325) 720424.