TWENTY-FOUR hours before hundreds of protesters converged on the town hall, the plans to close Prestwich Arts College and two other Bury schools was top of the agenda at Prestwich Area Board.

At a packed meeting at Heaton Park Primary School, headteacher Geoff Barlow hit out at education chiefs for not discouraging the parents of primary schoolchildren who wished to change their first preference of high school.

Mr Barlow said some people had asked to change their first preferences as a result of the review and had been given until February 6 to register this in writing. Speaking on Monday night, Mr Barlow said: "I am committed to seeing this through and showing leadership and integrity.

"Prestwich is not a failing school. It is a good school and staff are finding it very difficult to understand what the real logic is behind this decision."