PARENTS in Ashton who spent years campaigning for a new high school in their area have been told their children won't be allowed to go there.

Scores of parents, many living within one mile of Ashton-on-Ribble High School, have been told their children, due to start high school in September will have to travel to Tulketh High School in Ingol.

Lancashire County Council claims priority has to go to pupils living to the west of the school as they have nowhere else to go - leaving the students on the east side of the school looking for another school to go to.

A spokesman for the parents, who are campaigning for their children to be allowed to go to the nearest school, said: "Some people live within in eyeshot of the school yet will have to travel to Tulketh instead.

"It is ridiculous. Many of the students who were turned down have parents who supported and fought for the old school to be replaced with a brand new one."

Angry parents who wrote to the education department at County Hall were told that anyone with any worries could have spoken to the Council's staff at Ashton's open evening last year.

The bizarre situation leaves pupils from the western districts, such as Lea and Woodplumpton, being ferried in on buses to Ashton, while youngsters in Ashton are taken to schools outside the area - also on buses!

The spokesman added: "We didn't think there was a problem so we didn't talk to them. We appreciate that Ashton is now over-subscribed but the fact we live in Ashton shouldn't mean we have to send our children to school somewhere else.

"My daughter has been brought up in this area and for the first time she will have to go to school elsewhere. Why should we bother picking a school if County Hall has already decided where we are going."

County Hall said priority was given to children living to the west of Ashton High School because it was the only school they could go to, while youngsters in Ashton had several to choose from.

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