CAMPAIGNERS in Turton, Edgworth and Belmont have lost their battle to keep guaranteed places for their children at Turton High School.

The children, who live within the borough of Blackburn with Darwen, have been guaranteed places at Turton High, which is within the Bolton boundaries, since 1977 because it is their nearest school.

Turton High, which is a specialist media and arts college, has become heavily over-subscribed in recent years, prompting Bolton Council to rip up the agreement.

The decision, which will come into force in September, 2008, was taken at a meeting of the council's executive board for children's services.

A spokesman for Bolton Council said that new government guidelines in the School Admissions Code of Practice prohibited local authorities from offering a guarantee of a place to children.

Parents, councillors and the MP for Rossendale and Darwen, Janet Anderson, who had been fighting to maintain the agreement, said they were shocked by the decision.

Mrs Anderson promised to raise the issue in the House of Commons.

She said: "This is very bad news for the children of Turton, Edgworth and Belmont.

"We must do all we can to make sure they have access to their nearest secondary school."

Cllr Jean Rigby, representative for North Turton on Blackburn with Darwen Council, said she would be campaigning for a judicial review.

"I'm quite shocked because I had heard on the grapevine that they were going to look upon us favourably," she said.

"I'm also concerned because parents were not given the chance to put their views forward during the consultation process."

Paul Jackson, of Vale Street, Turton Bottoms, is leader of North Turton Primary Action Group. He has three children - Amelia, aged 10, Charlotte, aged seven, and William, aged five - who would have been guaranteed places at Turton High School.

"We have had 30 years of certainty taken away," said Mr Jackson.

"There's something very wrong with the system if children can't get access to a school that was built for them."

"However, we do acknowledge that Bolton has now ammended the admissions criteria which albeit removes the guarantee, should afford us a very good opportunity of our children attending their nearest high school."