A CANDLELIGHT protest was held outside the home of Burnley MP Peter Pike last night as the row over school places rumbles on.

A group of ten parents and their children from the DIY School gathered and stood with candles and lanterns for more than an hour in the rain outside his Burnley home.

They also put 100 postcards through Mr Pike's letterbox, signed by supporters of their campaign, and 100 more through the door of the Labour Party office in town.

The parents spoke to the MP as he was on his way out and said they will continue their battle to get their children in to schools near to their homes.

A spokesman for the group said: "Peter Pike told us all he wasn't going to speak to us there and that it wasn't the right time or place but that parents could go and see him at his surgery.

"He said he didn't think the DIY school should be up and running because the children weren't getting the right education.

"It ended with him walking off and the group chanting 'West children to west schools, east children to east schools' but he said it didn't work like that. He said he couldn't support the campaign because he couldn't find a solution to it."

The group of parents set up their own community school after refusing to accept places allocated to them by Lancashire County Council.

Most of the parents who have children at the "DIY School", off Rossendale Road, have been refused places at Habergham, Ivy Bank and Gawthorpe where in many cases the schools are within walking distance of their homes.

In a recent letter to Mr Pike about school places in Burnley, Education Minister Estelle Morris said: "Where a school is popular, it is simply not possible for every parent to have their preference and places must be allocated to those with the strongest claim, according to the schools admissions arrangements.

"We encourage all admission authorities to describe their arrangements clearly and accurately so that parents have as much idea as possible about the likelihood of securing a place in their preferred school."

The group have been angered by Lancashire County Council's refusal to budge on the issue, even though their education chief has admitted there are problems with the current system.

Last week Alan Whittaker revealed that he believes the current schools admissions policy in Burnley is "crazy" and a "lottery".

He gave assurances that the system is being reviewed to avoid a repeat of the annual upset in Burnley but said he was powerless to do anything for the current school intake.

Mr Pike said: "I had written to them earlier in the week and said if they wanted me to visit the DIY school I would. I had made it clear that while saying that I could not support their action I would meet them.

"I think the type of action we saw last night is not necessary.

"I am not unsympathetic to their case but I can't promise to deliver something I haven't got the power to deliver. If we were to break the system for these nine people then many other people who had accepted it would say we have abided by the system and we don't think this is right.

"I don't believe a DIY school can possibly deliver the national curriculum especially over five years, it just can't work."