Angry Keighley residents fear they may lose a valuable play area to a newly-proposed school.

Under Bradford council's schools review proposals, Utley First School is to close and re-open on a site on Cartmel Road.

But residents are concerned that the school will take over part of the Burgess playing fields, situated at one end of the road, which are used regularly by local rugby and football teams.

A special play area and football court have recently been constructed on the fields, resembling the one put up in Keighley's Victoria Park.

Judith Allen, the tenant representative for Highfield, says: "People like us should have a right to know what's going on.

"We think this is the only area where a 420-pupil primary school could be built and we agree the school needs a green area, but it should be put to us first before anything is decided.'

But Bradford education bosses say the new school is to be built on the site of an old ambulance training centre, located just before the playing fields.

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