CAMPAIGNERS fighting against plans for a new £25m city academy in the North-East, last night used the Halloween date to insist they would not "fall under the spell" of council bosses.

Darlington Borough Council is pursuing the Government funding that could see Hurworth School and Eastbourne Comprehensive brought together.

It wants the development to take shape at the top end of Yarm Road, in Darlington.

But a protest group set up to battle against the scheme yesterday staged another high-profile demonstration.

The Save Hurworth and Rural Education (Share) group wants to see Hurworth School retained in its village location.

Members took a swipe at both the council and the Prime Minister, whose Sedgefield constituency includes Hurworth, by dubbing their latest protest "The Blair Ditch Project".

Campaigners gathered outside Darlington Town Hall, sporting Halloween masks and chanting: "Tony Blair, you don't care."

Mr Blair has insisted that the matter should be dealt with by politicians at a local level.

Taxi drivers and market traders, who have also had run-ins with the council over its pedestrianisation plans, joined the protest.

Share spokesman Ian Holme said the Halloween theme reflected the "monstrous and scary things" which the group feared would result from the proposals.

Last night, in a response to criticism about a perceived lack of openness, the council said that the proposal would not be discussed by cabinet members this afternoon.

Instead, they will refer the matter to the authority's lifelong learning scrutiny committee for consideration.

The committee will look at plans for the council to express an interest to the Government in creating the academy.

Other groups - likely to include Share - will be asked for their views and the cross-party committee will eventually give its recommendations to the cabinet.

Chris McEwan, cabinet member for children's services, said: "It is important that we have complete openness and transparency in this process from the outset."