A TORY MP is seeking an urgent meeting with Lancashire education boss Chris Trinnick to discuss the proposed closure of a tiny village school.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans has joined the fight to prevent the closure of Tosside Primary School, Gisburn Forest.

A question mark has hung over the school since the Government announced cuts in funding for schools with small numbers of children.

Education bosses gave the go-ahead for a consultation exercise into the future of Tosside Primary, on the Lancashire Yorkshire border, after the number of pupils dropped from 26 to nine in eight years.

And Lancashire County Council's education sub-committee approved closure at a meeting last week.

Mr Evans said: "We can't just close the school without any regard for children, teachers, parents and villagers.

"The school is vital to the existence of a lively and vibrant local community and if it closes the village will be irreparably damaged. The future of this school deserves all of our support. We must not waver in our fight to save Tosside Primary School from closure."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.