Closing schools in Ravenscliffe will tear the soul out of the community, residents claimed at a heated meeting with a Council official.

Criticism was levelled at plans for a new state-of-the-art school in Thackley, which parents said was too far away and would cost too much in bus fares.

Two first schools and an upper school in the area will shut their doors forever if the district's plans to sweep away a tier of education get the green light from the government.

And a score of disgruntled residents took the opportunity to express their disdain of the review when education officer Charles Stansfield attended a question and answer session organised by Greengates and Ravenscliffe Community Forum yesterday.

"The reality is that if you take these schools off the estate, it will tear the soul out of the community," said the Rev Doreen Morrison.

"We hear the planning and the rationale behind the review, but we do not hear anything about the people."

Parents quizzed Mr Stansfield over where their children, who currently attend Eccleshill Upper, would go.

It was explained that some would go to the new Thorn Garth school in Thackley, some would go to Laisterdyke and some would go to Hanson, which they envisaged would itself lose pupils to Thorn Garth.

But the explanation failed to appease parents who said Thorn Garth and Laisterdyke were too far away.

One man said: "It is too far to walk but I bet there won't be free travel and a lot of people on this estate don't have cars and can't afford the extra cash for bus fares."

Parents expressed fears that their children were already effectively excluded from Hanson, a grant-maintained school with a long waiting list.

"Don't you think if we could get our kids into Hanson, they would be going there now?" said one mother.

Under the review, Ravenscliffe First and Brookfield First are scheduled to close and a new primary school open on the site of Eccleshill North Middle.

Eccleshill Upper is also set to close down.

The school shake-up was agreed by the Council last month and the whole proposal is in limbo until mid November for formal objections to be lodged.

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