PRIME Minister Tony Blair was last night said to be strongly in favour of plans for a £25m city academy to be built in Darlington - putting him on a potential collision course with his own constituents.

Proposals for the privately-sponsored academy, which would replace both Hurworth School and Eastbourne Comprehensive, emerged this week.

Darlington Borough Council is hoping that the school will be built at the top end of Yarm Road, after the Government invited the authority to pursue funding through the academy programme.

But the plans have infuriated residents of Hurworth - which lies in Mr Blair's Sedgefield constituency.

It was promised last night that Mr Blair would meet outraged parents from the village, who have vowed to fight plans to close their top-performing school.

Proposals unveiled by the council in June were to close both schools and amalgamate them into a new 1,200-pupil Hurworth School.

However, earlier this week it was announced that the council had been offered the chance to apply for an academy, which would see an investment of about £2m by a sponsor.

Council officials insisted they had only shown interest in the proposals at this stage and that a period of extensive consultation would begin later.

Last night, Mr Blair's constituency agent, John Burton, said: "It's great news, millions more pounds will be poured into education. It would be a massive thing for the children of the area.

"If it was the case that these plans went ahead, the excellent standards of Hurworth would rise.

"They will get even better. Mr Blair will be meeting a delegation of parents once they have had the chance to consider the proposals."

Protestors said they remained committed to fighting plans to move Hurworth School out of the village and had organised a series of protests.

Ian Holme, spokesman for campaign group Save Hurworth and Rural Education (Share) welcomed the offer of a meeting with the Prime Minister.

He said: "We are not fighting plans for an academy in Darlington, but only if it will replace Hurworth.

"I think it would be very surprising once any sponsor hears of the strength of feeling if they are willing to invest. They wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

"If they want to build an academy, they should choose two failing schools instead.

"There is no guarantee at all that the standards of Hurworth would become part of this new academy."