A BATTLING mum has pledged to take on education chiefs after her 10-year-old twins were offered a secondary school 20 miles from their home.

The row broke out as a group of parents in the Ribble Valley stepped up their campaign for more secondary places for local children after an explosion in the number of new private homes.

Julie Woodhead, of Henthorn Road, Clitheroe, said she and her husband John had been told that twins William and Thomas would have to travel to Walton-le-Dale High School in Preston from next September. They currently attend St Michael and St John Roman Catholic Primary School in Clitheroe.

"We put down Bowland High School as our first choice and Ribblesdale second -- but we've had a letter back telling us they will have to travel two long bus rides to Walton-le-Dale. I didn't even know where Walton-le-Dale was. It's laughable.

"They would have to leave the house at 6.45 in the morning and they wouldn't get home till after six at night," Mrs Woodhead said. "We'll definitely be appealing."

She added that her three older children had all attended the local Roman Catholic secondary school, St Augustine's, at Billington, but for their own reasons she and her husband did not want the twins to go there.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "Someone at county hall must be taking the mickey. These children would have to get up at six in the morning."

He claimed pupils were being put at risk because pressure on places meant they were not being allowed to attend schools close to home.

"This causes parents and children enormous stress. It's quite ridiculous to offer children who live in Clitheroe places in schools in Walton-le-Dale," he added.

The Ribble Valley Schools for Ribble Valley Children group last week invited County Hall education chiefs to meet them to discuss an offer from Clitheroe Royal Grammar School of 30 additional places for local children.

Stuart Finch from the group said: "Each year parents in the Ribble Valley face the possibility that their children seeking a place at a local secondary school will be offered one out of the area."

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said the Woodheads' situation had been complicated by the fact that their children attended a Roman Catholic primary school but they did not want them to go to the local Roman Catholic high school -- St Augustine's.

This automatically put them lower down the order for other local schools.

He added: "Once a school is full we cannot provide an infinite number of extra places there. We accept that every year some parents are going to be disappointed."

"Children cannot be offered places in Blackburn with Darwen because this is now a separate local education authority.

"However, we do appreciate that parents want the best for their children, and we are always happy to speak to families who are worried. And they do have the right to appeal."

He said funds had been ploughed into both Bowland and Ribblesdale high schools in recent years to allow them to take in more pupils.