THE controversial decision to close a tiny village school has been branded a disaster by Lancashire County Council Tory leader Robert Hodge.

A question mark has hung over Tosside Primary School, Gisburn Forest, since the Government announced cuts in funding for establishments with small numbers of children.

Education bosses gave the go-ahead for a consultation exercise into the future of the tiny school on the Lancashire Yorkshire border after the number of pupils dropped from 26 to nine in eight years. Lancashire County Council's education sub-committee gave closure the go-ahead last month.

And the controversial decision has now been rubber-stamped by the council's education and cultural services committee. Coun Hodge accused Lancashire County Council's ruling Labour group of failing to make a case for closure.

"The savings to be made by closing Tosside Primary School have been estimated at about £57,000 a year," he said. "Compared to Lancashire's education budget of £450million, these are minimal figures."

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