HURWORTH REACTION: WHAT great news about Hurworth School. Darlington's Labour- controlled council has changed its mind.

Alan Milburn and Prime Minister Tony Blair are trying very hard to sell this as a personal victory for themselves, arranged by Milburn. But all the locals know this to be spin.

Hurworth Comprehensive School, threatened with closure now for a year, has been saved by local people. They organised fundraising events and demonstrations.

The housewives and mothers of Hurworth and nearby Middleton Saint George saved Hurworth School, not Blair or Milburn.

The campaign for a directly-elected mayor also has much to do with it.

The idea of a directly-elected Mayor threatens Labour's hold on the Town Hall in Darlington.

Local political parties struggle to find credible council candidates at election time, and it was unlikely Labour could have been removed from control of the council in 2007.

But finding just one credible candidate each to be a directly-elected mayor was much easier to achieve.

Tony Blair's own policy for directly-elected mayors was turned into a stick to beat the Labour council with.

The population of voters in Hurworth and nearby Middleton Saint George served by Hurworth School is well above 5,000.

These two Darlington villages could easily swing the Darlington Mayoral election with a high turnout.

I believe the plan for a directly-elected mayor will go on, promoted by a number of different protest groups. I will be supporting it. - Nigel Boddy, Darlington.

I WAS so pleased that the Government stepped in to the fray and gave the council the opportunity to allow both schools (Hurworth and Eastbourne) to continue.

A lot of work was going on behind the scenes and whether you support this Government or not, the supporters of both schools should give a big thank you to our MP, Alan Milburn, for the work he put in negotiating on all our behalf.

Let us now put all the energy, and the sometimes misplaced passion, into making a success of education throughout the town. - Dave Preston, chairman, Firthmoor Community Association

LIKE many parents in the Dinsdale area, I'm so pleased that common sense has finally prevailed over Hurworth and the Academy.

Since moving to the area three years ago, I have been supportive and impressed by the local council's planning and actions, but could never figure out why they were so adamant to push through this merger proposal against the wishes of so many of us, when "win-win" alternatives were still clearly available.

We now have a plan where the academic excellence of Hurworth can be maintained, while Eastbourne has a chance to start again with modern facilities to the benefit of those children too.

A rural community is saved while an urban community can now be regenerated.

If Tony Blair and Alan Milburn have been behind this compromise, they certainly deserve our praise, along with those hard-working activists who have fought against the original plans.

Hopefully, everyone can now put past recriminations aside and move on together and work towards Darlington Borough Council's aim of "excellence for all" when it comes to our children's education. - Mr D Edwards, Middleton St George.

WHY is it that in its article (Echo, Mar 17) regarding the Hurworth and Eastbourne School solution, The Northern Echo presumes or implies the fight for a directly-elected Mayor is over.

Far from it. If we, the people, can force the council to have an elected Mayor, it may stop them rushing into schemes or at least question their own arrogance, as they have just suffered public humiliation over the school issue.

They can dress it as they will, but defeat it was.

They are now trying to save face, call it their idea, when we at Share (Save Hurworth and Rural Education) suggested this alternative months ago.

The waste of public money in this school fiasco should never be allowed in the future and the people responsible should be made accountable. - Ian White, Hurworth.

THE news the Local Education Authority (LEA) has accepted that Hurworth School will not be closed is a victory for common sense.

It is a shame that over the last 12 months so much uncertainty has been caused and resources consumed that could have otherwise been better used.

The people of the school, Share and the wider community of Darlington should be very proud of what they have achieved in making the LEA hear their views and holding their council to account.

It is to be hoped the many lessons have been learnt and that energies can be directed to education so that the children of the town can begin to enjoy the education they deserve. - Martin Phillips, Darlington.