A KENT school threatened with closure has been given a glimmer of hope after education chiefs were ordered to think again about their plan.

Hothfield School, near Ashford, which has just 29 pupils and is the smallest school in Kent, is under threat as part of a drive by Kent County Council to bring down the number of primary surplus places.

But a cross-party group of county councillors has now formally asked education chief Cllr John Simmonds (Con) to reconsider the closure plan.

Members of KCC’s cross-party cabinet scrutiny committee met on Wednesday and heard pleas from local county councillor Richard King and local vicar the Rev Lindsay Hammond for a reprieve.

After listening to the case for keeping the school open, the committee voted unanimously for KCC to reconsider. The news means the closure plan is now on hold.

Campaigners who sat through the four-hour-long meeting emerged delighted with the decision.

"This is the best result in the circumstances. It gives us another chance. The village has really come together over this," said school action group chairman Philip Holloway.

Cllr Richard King was jubilant and said the influence carried by the committee’s decision would help its fight for survival. "It would be a brave cabinet member for education who did not take note of the committee’s unanimous decision."

During the meeting, Cllr Simmonds said he was not convinced the school would be viable in the long term because of the declining numbers.