PARENT power has saved a North Yorkshire school from having to close its doors at lunchtime.

Youngsters at Alne Primary School, near Easingwold, will be able to stay at school during the lunch hour after parents stepped in to cover supervisory assistants' shifts.

It was feared last month that the school might have to shut during the lunch hour because there were not enough assistants to supervise the children.

Three supervisory assistants are needed to take care of Alne's 120 pupils.

Ann Leyburn, chair of governors, said: "The parents have been absolutely magnificent. They said they would organise a voluntary rota.

"The effect of this is that we have got the shifts covered until the end of this term.

"Every parent has agreed to do a session and it is all going very well."

Mrs Leyburn said the positions still needed to be filled as the arrangements would only be in force until September.