EDUCATION Secretary Ruth Kelly yesterday became the latest senior Government figure to sidestep questions over a controversial school take-over.

She refused to give her views on plans to close the two schools involved in Britain's first education federation and bring them together in a multi-million pound project.

Bosses at Darlington Borough Council want top-performing Hurworth School to take over troubled Eastbourne Comprehensive.

A school would be built in Yarm Road, Darlington - a move that has caused an outcry in Hurworth.

Campaigners are fighting to keep the school in the village and have formed an action group to take their case to the town hall and Downing Street, if necessary.

They have already cricitised Tony Blair, in whose Sedgefield constituency Hurworth School lies, and Darlington MP Alan Milburn, who represents the Eastbourne community.

So far, the pair have declined to even say whether or not they support the council's proposal.

On a visit to a SureStart centre in Darlington yesterday, Ms Kelly said: "These are local decisions that should be taken locally for the benefit of each side and I don't want to say any more than that."

Objectors to the scheme said her response was deeply disappointing and called on the area's MPs to make their views known.

Last week, a spokesman for Mr Blair said the Prime Minister would be holding talks with council leader John Williams, but yesterday the authority said no date had yet been agreed.

Meanwhile, Hurworth School last night won the council's excellence in performance accolade at an annual awards ceremony.

The authority's education awards were presented at the St George Hotel, near Durham Tees Valley Airport, where more than 50 protestors paraded outside.

Campaigners seized on the announcement last night, with action group spokesman Ian Holme saying: "It reinforces the need to keep the school within its present environment and allow it to prosper, not to deteriorate on a semi-industrial site."