TEACHERS have voted in favour of strike action at a troubled flagship academy.

The NASUWT union at Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough, has called for action to protect the conditions of service for staff.

They are angry over plans to make the failing academy and neighbouring Macmillan College into a federation, and 70 per cent of members voted in favour of strike action.

Union bosses said the ballot was called for two reasons -potential redundancies and attempts to change the terms and conditions of service for the teachers at the school.

NASUWT secretary Chris Keates said: "The result of this ballot demonstrates the resolve of members. If at all possible, the union wishes to avert the need for action.

"I hope, therefore, that the management of the academy will now take the opportunity to engage constructively to seek to find a mutually satisfactory way forward."

Joe McCarthy, chairman of the trust that runs the academy, said he was disappointed at the result.

He said: "As I have made it clear, I believe that industrial action is the very last thing we need at this critical stage in the development of the academy.

"Of the ten teaching post reductions we are having to make, we have already achieved nine without any need for compulsory redundancy.

"Our spending has been running at £500,000 a year over our available budget, and what is needed now is co-operation, rather than confrontation."

The federation of Unity and Macmillan College has been given ministerial backing.

The federation will be responsible for educating 2,500 students, and will have about 200 teachers. There are also plans for a vocational training centre.

Last week, Government inspectors said Unity was failing to give pupils an acceptable standard of education. School officials said plans were being drawn up to tackle problems.