A Little Lever boy faces being split from his brother and friends after a mix-up over school application forms. Richard Buckley started at Little Lever High School last year and his mum assumed her younger son, Thomas would follow this September.

Mrs Buckley, of Edinburgh Road, says she filled out Thomas's application form and sent it back to Masefield Primary School.

She believed that as Richard was already at the high school, they live in the catchment area and Thomas is currently at a feeder primary school, there would not be a problem.

But she was horrified when Bolton Education Authority's admissions department informed her that they had not received her application, all the places at Little Lever High School were filled and Thomas would have to go to Withins High School, Breightmet instead.

"Thomas is gutted. Everyone in his class is going to Little Lever except him," she said.

Mrs Buckley believes Thomas's form has been lost in the system.

"I don't want my child suffering from their incompetence," she said.

She is adamant that Thomas will not go to Withins and plans to keep him home if a place at Little Lever is not made available. This week she received a letter from the education department confirming his place at Withins.

An education department spokesman said: "Mrs Buckley should not take the letter as final, appeals have not yet been heard and if we get a place at Little Lever High he will be considered."

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