I HAVE sat through three council meetings concerning the proposed closure of Affetside School and now feel compelled to put pen to paper.

The parents, but, above all the children, of Affetside have been given a very rough deal; the justifications against closure are so monumental that, it seems to me, the only way the executive committee and other council members feel they can win is to ride roughshod over the people.

The behaviour of some of the senior councillors and, in fact, the leader of the council, John Byrne, has been appalling.

For the leader to address extremely anxious parents as "stupid" is both unprofessional and unacceptable.

Every single reason for closure put forward by Bury MBC has been dismantled ten-fold by intelligent, well-informed parents and professionals.

One of the main reasons for closure is falling roles and the need to address surplus places. I would therefore ask councillors who are also school governors to declare the number of surplus places within their schools. This will, I feel, not be forthcoming as those surplus places pro rata far exceed those at Affetside.

I would like to know what Bury MBC's real agenda is regarding school closures.

KAREN BAKER (Mrs)