COUNTY education chiefs have been accused of 'social engineering' by 're-directing' children from one Chorley high school to another.

Angry Chorley MP Den Dover accused the county council of seeking to reduce the number of pupils allowed to attend Southlands High and sending them to Albany High.

A total of 222 parents want their children to go to Southlands from next September.

The school has an intake of 187 - it has asked for another nine places - and all parents have the right of appeal by an independent tribunal.

Mr Dover says schools minister Robin Squire agrees with him - that the county council has failed to carry out proper consultations and cannot continue with the move.

"Albany High School is in the process of rebuilding. Southlands has an intake number which is agreed and set in concrete," said Mr Dover.

He added: "Social engineering is nothing new to Labour controlled Lancashire County Council. Needless to say, I will do everything possible to block the county's plans."

County coun Hazel Harding, vice-chairman of the education committee and chairman of the admissions group, said: "There are more children in Southlands than the school currently has capacity for.

"Albany has space, there's room for these children, many of whom live closer to Albany."

She rejected the social engineering claim, adding that Mr Squire was a "very poor minister" if he thought children should be crammed into Southlands.

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