PARENTS fear their children will be bullied at Queen's Park Infant School after its governors' expressed concern over the "Townsend effect".

Dad Luke Wilson, who has two children at the threatened Townsend Primary School, said: "Parents are worried their children would not be welcome. It is very disheartening to hear about this Townsend effect'.

"It is not our fault the school is closing, we are being forced into this situation by the council."

The Daily Echo reported that the governors of Queen's Park Infant School fear standards will drop if children from Townsend Primary school move there when their school closes.

In their response to the consultation on the closure of Townsend School, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the governors of Queen's Park Infant School listed the school's concerns over the transfer of pupils from Townsend and said some parents had already removed their children.

The school has been named as one of the four recommended schools for pupils to attend, if the council closes Townsend School.

Mr Wilson, from Townsend, said: "All the parents are talking about this at drop-off and pick-up times.

"We are worried children will be bullied or isolated if they go to Queen's Park."

In a letter to the Echo the chair of the governors at Queen's Park Infant School, Mr R Frias-Robles, said: "A small number of parents have taken their children out of Queen's Park Infants but our numbers on roll are actually up, despite this.

"We are working extremely hard to welcome Townsend pupils to us, if the school does close, but we are not alone among schools locally, in condemning the closure of Townsend School."

l At a council meeting this week, resident Malcolm Chapman said the number of special need pupils at Townsend had contributed to parents pulling their children out and the possible closure.

He asked: "If most of these are transferred to Queens Park, which already has its own problems, will this lead to another mass exodus, leading to another closure?"

Malcolm Davies, cabinet member for education said: "Systems and funding are already being put in place to cope."