TEACHERS and governors at more than 100 schools lined up for closure and mergers were last night drawing up their own plans to fight back.

A series of meetings are expected to 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 re-organisation of its schools prompted by a rising number of unfilled places which now stands at almost 12,000.

An appraisal document examaning the physical condition of schools, the number of surplus places and the quality of accommodation is now being circulated to schools for discussions to take place.

Some villages such as Beamish, Wearhead and Cassop risk losing their only school because pupil numbers are said to be insufficient to justify keeping them open.

Haswell Primary School, in east Durham, is one which could shut because it has a 147-pupil capacity, but just 83 children.

Chairman of governors Margaret Jackson-Fraser, said: "We will be putting our case to Durham LEA and are hopeful of keeping our school open."

In Shildon, the 950-place Sunnydale Comprehensive School has been earmarked for closure because there are 302 surplus places.

Ironically the school was originally threatened with closure back in 1978, only ten years after opening, but won a battle to stay open following a high profile campaign.

Acting headteacher Andy White said: "It is very early stages yet and extensive consultation will be carried out before any decisions are made.

"Sunnydale School has a lot to offer which I'm sure we can prove."

Two out of four comprehensive schools in north-west Durham face being merged with their neighbours.

Those under threat are Stanley School of Technology, Tanfield Comprehensive, and Moorside Comprehensive and Blackfyne Comprehensive, both in Consett.

Archie Howat, headteacher of Tanfield Comprehensive, near Stanley, which has recently undergone a £3.5m overhaul, said: "In the next five to seven years, there will be a real drop in the numbers of young people of secondary school age in Derwentside alone which is beginning to impact on primary schools.

"There has to be some rationalisation, but of course a lot of people will not be happy."