EDUCATION campaigners have vowed to keep up the pressure on council chiefs after a high-profile demonstration.

Parents battling to keep Hurworth School in its village location, just outside Darlington, have formed an action group to fight borough council plans.

The authority wants to create a new 1,200-pupil Hurworth School at the top end of Yarm Road, in Darlington, on land near Alderman Tommy Crooks Park.

The development would involve Hurworth taking over Eastbourne Comprehensive, with both schools' existing sites being closed down.

But members of the Save Hurworth and Rural Education (Share) protest group believe the move would bring traffic chaos to Yarm Road.

They illustrated their point on Friday, when a convoy of more than 100 vehicles descended on the proposed school site, sparking rush-hour mayhem on the nearby A66 bypass.

Yesterday, Share spokes-man Ian Holme said the group would continue to question the local authority's proposals.

He also hit out at the council's statement that it was "probable that a full transport assessment will be carried out" prior to a new school opening.

Mr Holme said: "Probable - how reassuring is that?

"Perhaps they should ask the major employers in the area if a probable transport assessment is sufficient to allay their concerns regarding the school's location."

The council said it was highly unlikely that there would be major traffic congestion as a result of the relocation, particularly as two-thirds of the current Hurworth pupils lived in the Eastbourne area.

A spokesman said it would be easier for those children to either walk or cycle to school.

However, Share has queried the figures, saying it has information from the council which states that only 44.4 per cent of Hurworth's current pupils come from the whole of Darlington.