TEACHERS and governors at more than 100 schools lined up for closure and mergers are now drawing up plans to fight back.

A series of meetings will be held in the coming weeks at affected schools across County Durham to put the case for survival.

The local education authority hopes to save £600,000 a year through reorganisation of its schools prompted by a rising number of unfilled places which now stands at almost 12,000. A ten to 15-year strategy aimed at tackling the problem has identified 23 schools across the county for possible closure and a further 94 which could be merged.

Nine out of the 23 are in the Wear Valley Advertiser area. They are Eldon Lane Primary, Dene Valley Primary, Stanley Crook Primary, Peases West Primary, Billy Row; Wearhead Primary, Kirk Merrington Primary, Rosa Street Primary, Spennymoor, King Street Primary, Spennymoor and Sunnydale Comprehensive, Shildon.

Andy White, acting headteacher at Sunnydale Comprehensive, has reassured his students, parents and the local community that the school is in no imminent danger.

He said: "If you read the small print, what is happening now is the first stage of a very long consultation process and nothing will be finally decided for a long time.''

It is not the first time the school has faced closure. In 1978 the community successfully fought plans to close the school.

One mum said: "I can remember all the Save Our School banners from last time. One thing is certain: we will not go down without a fight. We have beaten them once and we will beat them again.''

Stunned parents at Eldon Lane Primary were told of the school's possible fate as they waited to pick up their children. One mother said: "We will fight this. This is a good school and our children are settled. They are not going close us down. We will do whatever it takes.''

Dorothy Hope, headteacher at Eldon Lane, said: "Nothing has been decided and it is still under consultation. We will be putting the best case forward that we can so that this school can remain open.''

It is understood that Durham County Council has set a minimum three-year time scale before any final decisions are made on closures, allowing many threatened schools a stay of execution.

Council spokesman Frazer Davie said: "We would like everyone who has an interest in the provision of schools in their community to have a say on this before we publish more detailed plans.

"Even in the most urgent cases, any closures will be years rather than months away.''