by Alan Watkins

awatkins@thekmgroup.co.uk

Parents brought a council meeting to a halt as members agreed to close an infants school.

Families of pupils at St John’s in Chatham disrupted a meeting of the council’s cabinet.

The debate was suspended as they made repeated phone calls to other schools in the area to back claims that there were not enough places for the 73 children of St John’s.

Council leader Rodney Chambers said: “I’ll have to ask you to be quiet or to leave.”

Campaigner Sam Whittington told the cabinet: “If you want to close our school don’t lie to our people, the public or the press.

Head teacher Diana Keating spoke with the parents and they left the meeting.

One of the schools likely to take some of the pupils is Delce infants which is fighting plans to merge with Delce junior. That plan is to be referred to the schools adjudicator.

For full story see tomorrow's (Friday) Medway Messenger