VILLAGERS aim to show their school is the heart of their community in an attempt to stop it closing.

Aycliffe Village Primary School is one of 23 being considered for closure by Durham County Council in a £300m education shake-up.

The council says it needs to reorganise schools because of a large number of surplus places caused by the falling birth rate. But an action group has been formed in Aycliffe Village to fight any closure.

Parents, teachers, governors and villagers packed into the school hall for a public meeting this week, to demonstrate their strength of feeling for keeping the school open.

Sheila Palmerley, school places manager at Durham County Council, stressed that no firm proposals had yet been made. She said the views of the community would be taken very seriously.

Jenny Haigh, chairman of the action group, said: "We have got to show everybody that the school is at the heart of the village. We've got to show people that we use it, but we could use it more."

Supporters are being urged to write to Prime Minister Tony Blair and the county council, and to support a petition on the group's website, at www.saveourschool.org.uk.