A BOY has been told he cannot go to a school just fifty yards from his home because youngsters living further away take priority.

Jack Lord, four, now faces a 30 minute trek each morning to another school after council bosses told him there was no place for him at the school he can see from his front garden.

Jack's parents, John Lord and Lisa Murray, of Harlech Drive, Oswaldtwistle, said they put their son's name down for All Saint's Primary School, which is three doors away from them, before he was even born, after three generations of their family attended there.

But Lancashire Education Authority, which decides where pupils go, said Jack would have to attend St Andrew's Primary School, Springfield Street, Oswaldtwistle.

Mr Lord appealed to Lancashire County Council, which stood by the decision saying pupils living further away from the school than Jack had first pick on places.

Under strict rules, infant class sizes must not exceed 30. All Saints is oversubscribed but children living nearer to neighbouring schools are being sent there instead -- no matter how close they live to All Saints.

That effects Jack because a new housing estate built on the other side of All Saints has resulted in an increased number of children applying to go to the school.

Because they live further away from the next school to All Saints with available spaces -- St Andrews -- than Jack does, they have been given preferential treatment over him, even though he lives closer to All Saints! Mrs Murray says she will have to give up her nursery nurse job to take Jack to school even though it is based next door to All Saints. Mr Lord said: "My partner works at the nursery next to All Saints and we literally could have opened the door and watch our lad walk to school. It would have been perfect. His step-sisters went to All Saints, as did the three generations before him.

"But instead, some ridiculous rule has meant Lisa will have to give up her job to walk him to school at St Andrew's, which is 30 minutes away.

"That is no good for us. We have appealed but that was no good. Now I am writing to Tony Blair to get his help in this. He has children, he must understand.

"People living further up the street have got their kids in before so it is this new estate which is causing the problems. I will not let this drop. My son should go to the school his family went to, not be sent to the other side of town just because a new housing estate was built."

Two local councillors have taken up the case, Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe and Oswaldtwistle councillor Brian Roberts.

Coun Britcliffe said: "I am appalled that a youngster who lives not a hop, skip and jump away from All Saints is being refused the chance to go there. "I feel it is unacceptable in this day and age for a mother to have to give up her job to take her child to school, especially when she lives within hearing distance of a school she is told her son cannot attend."

Coun Roberts added: "This whole thing seems absolutely amazing. I have written to the education authority to get answers. I just don't know what is going on."

A spokesman for Lancashire Education Authority said: "School places are allocated first of all to youngsters with siblings already at a school then to children with specific social, medical or welfare needs which mean they must attend that school.

"The remaining places go to youngsters for whom the preferred school is the only one within a reasonable distance from their home.

"In this case, we felt St Andrew's was within a reasonable distance for this youngster, although it was not the parent's preferred school.

"We have made that decision based on the fact other youngsters would have had to travel further than him to get to St Andrew's had he been given a place at All Saints."