PARENTS from a breakaway school took to the streets to protest about Lancashire County Council's handling of their case.

The group launched a community school of their own after their children were denied places in Burnley schools because of on-going problems with availability.

Several families refused to send their children to other schools allocated by Lancashire County Council and yesterday they demonstrated outside the education authority's offices in at the Globe Centre, Accrington.

Alan Whittaker, county council cabinet member for education, has met most of the parents but insisted: "I have explained that having gone through the independent Appeals Panel it is not possible for me to offer them places in the schools of their choice which are all full.

"There are places available in other Burnley schools and also places available in the adjacent area and I have offered to assist with transport costs.

"All of the schools offer good quality education and I urge the parents to take up those places."

The problem of school places is said to be acute in west Burnley, where increasing numbers of people live but where no extra places have been allocated in the three schools, Habergham, Gawthorpe and Ivy Bank.

This year more than 300 people applied for places at Habergham as their first choice school and 180 places were allocated, 172 applied to Gawthorpe and 151 were given places and 268 applied to Ivy Bank where 198 children were allocated a place.

All three schools accepted more pupils than they originally intended.

The parents have since set up a makeshift community school at the Enterprise Centre in Rossendale Road.

The "DIY School", as it is now known, has eight children on the books.

Banners at the protest read "Children are Denied Access to their Local Schools" and "Power is Flowing Back to the LEAs and Away From Parents Teachers".

Protester Lisa Newton said: "We are letting Lancashire County Council know that we are not going away.We are not going to give up. We are making a stand and we are going to be heard." Lisa's 11-year-old son Daniel was refused a place at Habergham, Ivy Bank and Gawthorpe, which are within five minutes' walking distance from the family home in Radnor Avenue. The county council offered Daniel a place at Barden School, on the other side of Burnley.

After protesting outside Lancashire County Council's offices in Accrington, the parents planned to stage a similar demonstration during an open evening for prospective parents at Gawthorpe tonight.