ANGRY parents are launching a battle against their local education authority because they fear that village children could be refused secondary school places nearby.

The headteacher at Wolsingham School and Community College and Durham County Council, as the local education authority, have denied that village youngsters will be turned away.

But more than 70 parents who attended a public meeting called by the governors of Wolsingham Primary School decided to press the county council to change its admissions criteria.

They say they will bombard Durham's education director, Keith Mitchell, with letters being collected in a post box at the primary school.

The county council's admissions policy gives priority to pupils from feeder schools, living a bus journey away from the comprehensive school, over those who live within walking distance.

Keith Banks, a council spokesman, assured parents that there would be sufficient places for children wanting to go to the school in the next academic year.

But parents said they wanted guarantees that in future years other youngsters from the Upper Weardale, Stanhope and Wolsingham parishes would automatically be given places.

Grandmother Jean Parvin said: "We need a guarantee that the children of Wolsingham will be able to go to that school in the future.''

Councillor Vere Shuttleworth told Mr Banks that Wolsingham School was a special case because the nearest school was 12 miles away.

He said: "The rules were changed for Durham Johnson School because they had a problem, so why not Wolsingham?"

Yesterday, Mr Mitchell said: "We foresee even less pressure on places in future years as rolls decline, but if at any time and for any reason a problem does occur, we will solve it.

"We want children in Wolsingham and Upper Weardale to attend the school. I cannot make our position any clearer than that.''

Community college headteacher Mitch O'Reilly said: "I'm delighted that local children want to come to our school and that I have been given assurance by the local authority that any Wolsingham child who wants to come here will be given a place."