PARENTS behind Burnley's DIY School are waiting to hear about secondary school places in the town.

But the group, who set up their own classroom when they did not get the school of their choice last year, said they would continue their fight if their children do not get places in Burnley West schools this time and have called on other parents unhappy with their allocation to join them.

Lancashire County Council has started sending letters about places, decided by education chiefs in January. Education officers say many children will not have the place of their choice, and appeals can be made through County Hall.

Parents of 11 children set up the DIY School off Rossendale Road, Burnley, when they failed to get places at Ivy Bank, Habergham and Gawthorpe secondary schools. They lobbied Burnley MP Peter Pike for his support but the families of the four remaining DIY pupils were disappointed again last week when they got a letter from him, urging them to accept places at Pendle's Mansfield High. The other seven won places at the three preferred choices on appeal.

The remaining families have also been offered places at Barden but say they will continue their battle for places at one of the three west Burnley schools, all within walking distance of their homes.

Mr Pike is due to meet with county councillors and education secretary Charles Clarke in London next week to discuss the issue. The Burnley MP said: "I hope this year parents have tried to make sensible preferences. I don't believe the DIY school is the right way to go about changing the system."

Vicky Brown, whose 12-year-old daughter, Kira attends the school, is spending three days teaching geography, history and art to the four pupils along with three other parents. She said: "

"The children are missing out socially and feel isolated. We've vowed to stick together until we all get places but don't know how long that will be. We hope that by the start of the next school year we'll all have places for our children in one of the three schools. The children don't want to be here for their second year and somebody should solve this."

Peter Pike said the education and housing problems in Burnley are his top priorities to tackle before he retires as MP. But Vicky added: "He hasn't come up with any suitable solutions. We know he can't wave a magic wand but nothing has been done to help us. We're in the same situation as when we started out."

The problem is acute in the west of Burnley where increasing numbers of people live but where no extra places have been allocated in the three schools -- though all three accepted more pupils than intended last year. Many have been given places at Barden or Walshaw, but parents claim that is too far to travel.

Mr Pike said the whole structure of education needs to be addressed and that "difficult decisions" need to be made in the town.

Anybody not happy with their allocation should contact the education office on 01772 254868.