PARENTS held a protest demonstration yesterday at a primary school facing closure.

The future of Hamsteels Primary School, in Esh Winning, is in the balance after education bosses decided to consult on the proposed closure.

The small, close-knit community school has 61 pupils, nine short of its 70-pupil capacity.

Nearby Esh Winning Primary School, with 175 pupils, is only half full, but Hamsteels needs £207,000 worth of repairs.

Education chiefs fear it is not viable to maintain, but parents said it will adversely affect their children.

Parents made posters and placards to demonstrate the strength of opposition to the proposals. They turned out to protest outside the school yesterday morning and again at home time.

Helen Redfern, 34, Castle View, Esh Winning, said: "This is a brilliant little school and it would be terrible for the children if it were to close.

"The staff are fantastic. They are really caring and look after the children brilliantly."

Durham County Council, the local education authority, started its consultation yesterday with the first in a series of meetings.

A council spokesman said a decision on the future of the school has not yet been made.

But the council's consultation document stated the school would close at the end of August next year if the proposal was approved.

The report said: "The repair and maintenance issues are the responsibility of the school, but because of the small number of pupils on roll, which are projected to reduce further, it will be inevitable that the school budget will be unable to afford to carry out many of these repairs.

"Consequently, the condition of the building is likely to worsen.

"The prospect of closing a school requires careful consideration, and any decision needs to have regard to the quality of provision of education in the area for the medium and long-term, and the sustainability of that provision against falling pupil numbers.

"Whilst the local authority is aware that this proposal may concern parents, pupils, staff and Governors over what they see as a potential loss of their local school, it firmly believes that the proposal contained in this document is in the best interests of children, young people and their families in the area."