THE local government ombudsman has been called in by Lancaster and Morecambe parents to investigate the appeals system for children entering secondary schools.

The parents are furious that their children have been told they must attend Skerton High School.

And some of the mums and dads will meet with Morecambe MP Geraldine Smith on Saturday to discuss the appeals system. Just nine children out of 70 won their appeals to be allowed into schools of their choice like Morecambe High School and Ripley St Thomas last week.

One incensed father, Mr George Fox of Torrisholme, has been amazed by the response of fellow parents after launching a pressure group on their behalf last week.

And he explained that he was so incensed by the stories he had heard from dozens of distressed parents that he would continue with the campaign even if his own daughter, Jennifer, was allowed into Morecambe High School.

He said: "There was one mother on saying her son came home very upset. None of his friends would talk to him. They were taunting him because he had to go to Skerton. That's just one nightmare story. I've had parents on saying their child was recommended for the grammar school but they wanted them to go to a school with their friends - in fact that's what happened with my own Jennifer.

"I know they're doing a lot of good work at Skerton especially for things like GNVQs and practical non-academic things like that. But what if your child is academic? Their own literature for teachers applying to work there admits they are in the bottom 50 schools in the country for educational achievement."

Mr Fox went on to voice his fears that the children were being used as part of a 'social experiment.' He explained: "It turns out that three of the five on the appeal panel at Morecambe High School were either current Labour or ex-Labour councillors on the county council educational committee. I find that suspicious. They could be trying to place children of all abilities in different schools as an underhand policy.

"Our children are not be used as an experiment."

A county council spokesman reiterated that each child had a place at a local school, each appeal panel was correctly constituted under the law, and that each case was considered on its own merits.

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