COUNCIL chiefs have been accused of hijacking children from the north of the town to save schools in the south.

Clr Colin Froggatt said that education bosses are "stealing children from one area and moving them to another" at a meeting on Tuesday night.

Councillors were discussing the potential closure of Woolston and Padgate High Schools, which have been under threat for the past 18 months.

Warrington Borough Council says pupil numbers are falling at the two high schools and, after consultation with parents, its executive board is set to make a decision in September. It is likely one school will close.

But the Labour stalwart, from Poulton South, believes that a proper consultation has not taken place and the current plans should be halted.

He says, despite a promise from education chiefs to Poulton with Fearnhead Parish Council, the destination of primary school children in the area has not been considered.

Children who go to Oakwood and St Elphin's Primary Schools in central and east Warrington are currently sent to Sir Thomas Boteler, in Latchford.

Speaking after the meeting, Clr Froggatt said: "These two primary schools have a potential of 90 pupils which could go to their nearest secondary schools, which are Padgate and Woolston. Could that help this problem?

"If the nearest Church of England primary schools were partnered with Sir Thomas Boteler - Grappenhall, Stockton Heath and St Wilfrid's schools - it could relieve pressure in Padgate and Woolston.

"Especially when you recognise that the church schools in Grappenhall and Stockton Heath are partnered with Lymm High and Bridgewater High which are over-subscribed."

Norma Cadwallader, the council's head of education, had said that a deliberate decision had been taken not to review provision across the whole town, because this was a review of provision in the central and eastern areas.

But Clr Froggatt said there was no evidence of this being taken into consideration, and the children's services overview and scrutiny committee resolved that letters between the parish council and children's services would be submitted to the council's executive board to be considered at its next meeting on Monday, August 13.

On Wednesday, Clr Froggatt added: "There could be a possibility of being able to deal with pupil numbers without closing a school.

"I am not suggesting that it will give the solution but if it is not looked at, it is not a proper review.

"I am not denigrating any schools but one of the reasons why Padgate and Woolston are suffering is because two of the nearest schools by them are being partnered with Warrington south."