UNION bosses have branded plans for a £25m city academy in the region a potential disaster.

Workers' union Unison is pleading with Darlington Borough Council not to press ahead with trying to secure funding for the controversial development.

The authority wants Hurworth School and Eastbourne Comprehensive to close and be brought together on one site in Yarm Road, Darlington.

Town hall bosses said the academy would bring the ethos and exam success of Hurworth School to even more youngsters.

They also said the 1,200-pupil, privately-sponsored academy would solve the problem of falling rolls in the town.

But campaigners want Hurworth School to be retained in its current location, and their arguments against the academy move have won support from the local branch of Unison.

Branch secretary Alan Docherty has written to all councillors, urging them not to support a scheme he said would be "a disaster for education in the town".

His letter questions whether Darlington meets Government criteria for an academy, as well as the potential negative effect on other secondary schools and Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College.

It also said Unison was concerned at the prospect of a private sponsor "being able to effectively 'buy' a school and control the curriculum and ethos".

Mr Docherty said: "Local people have been offered little choice about academies in their area and, in many areas, they are presented as the only option.

"Unison believes in community-based comprehensive schools that are locally accountable."

A council spokeswoman said: "We are at the beginning of a long process and, clearly, there are still many issues to be resolved.

"The council is committed to undertaking extensive consultation with all stakeholders on what are clearly extremely important proposals."