THE Roman Catholic Church was accused of bigotry by a leading Medway councillor during a row over a grammar school. Cllr Pat Wozencroft, portfolio holder for education, spoke out after the Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark blocked an application for Chatham Grammar School for Boys to take more pupils.

She launched into a fierce tirade against the Catholic Church during a council meeting at Strood Civic Centre. The youth and education overview and scrutiny committee and more than 20 angry parents, whose children will not be able to attend the school, heard her condemn Catholics for their stance on selection.

Cllr Wozencroft: "I've worked for two and a half years on this project and I'm gutted. And it's all down to that one vote from the Roman Catholic Church, who does not like selection and is bigoted and selects by birth itself."

The proposals for Chatham Grammar were initially objected to by St John Fisher Catholic School, meaning the matter had to go before the Schools Commission.

Four of the five groups on the board voted for the school, but the Roman Catholic vote went against the scheme. That one vote led to the Chief School Adjudicator having the final decision on the plans and he rejected them.

Now the council is looking into taking the matter to the Court of Human Rights as they look to revive what was a cross-party scheme.

Father Christopher Baker, of St Michael's in Chatham and a member of the Schools Commission, said Cllr Wozencroft's comments had gone too far. He said: "The reason the proposals were rejected was because the adjudicator said they should not be allowed to proceed.

"We objected not because we are against selective education, but because we thought that Medway has enough grammar spaces and any more would have a negative effect on other schools."