Was wall shelved?

The 16-year-old says hundreds of pupils paid towards the scheme for a Millennium Wall, but four years on, there's still nothing to show for it.

The school, Wellfield High in Leyland, this week admitted some of the cash had already been spent on seats for its theatre, but claimed this was part of the original plan.

The boy, from Clayton Brook, is worried the project -- for which he paid £25 in 1999 -- would never be built. The pupil, who wished to remain anonymous, said he believed it had been quietly forgotten about.

"I paid £25 when I was in year seven, and I think there were up to 500 others who agreed to stump up the cash, some were pupils and some ex-pupils.

"The agreement was that there would be a wall full of hexagonal blocks with all our individual names engraved to commemorate the Millennium."

The boy said he and several other Chorley students were angry and felt 'fobbed off' by teachers. He added: "I have approached teachers on numerous occasions, but have never received an answer as to what has happened or where the money has gone.

"Now I have left the school I am worried that there is no-one left there who originally paid the money, so the whole thing will just be forgotten about."

Wellfield High School headteacher Martin Ainsworth was away from school this week, but his deputy Tony Jefcote assured the Citizen that the Millennium Wall had not been shelved. He said: "The plans suffered a setback as the member of staff who had spearheaded the initiative moved to another school.

"We are currently trying to gain specialist business college status and are hoping to develop a new building as a business centre. We hope to create the Millennium Wall in the reception area of that new building.

"Providing we gain the government funding for specialist status, then work should start in the new building over the next twelve months."

Bill Evans, chairman of governors, said the cash had been 'ringfenced' and was still allocated to the project.