Parents fighting for school places for their children say the KCC leader has made promises he cannot keep.

Last week, the Kent Messenger revealed exclusively that 35 children out of 94 at Madginford Primary School, Bearsted, failed to get places at any of their four choices of school.

But in a television interview on Monday Cllr Paul Carter (Con), the leader of Kent County Council, said the figure was only 22 children and he would “ensure every child gets one of their first four choices”.

He told the Kent Messenger this week that he would keep a close eye on the appeals process for parents and said: "I am doing everything I can within the legal powers to help them."

Parents from primary schools across the area have since got together and found that the problem is wider than first thought.

They claim a total of 85 children from Roseacre, Madginford, Sandling and Hollingbourne failed to get into a school of their choice.

Jackie Colwell, spokeswoman for Roseacre Primary School parents, said: “Unless the local education authority makes provision for at least two extra classes, which they have stated is not an option, Cllr Carter cannot promise to accommodate 85 children. There is simply not enough space."

One pupil at Roseacre has been offered a place at Homewood School in Tenterden, a 42-mile round trip.

Mum Mandy Cregan from Downsview, Burham, is angry that her daughter, Madeleine, 10, who goes to the village primary school, has been offered a place at the Malling School, which she says is too far away.

She said: “She would have to leave at 6.15am, get a bus, change and then have a 20 minute walk to school."

Cllr Carter said: “This year’s new admissions criteria at the Cornwallis Academy has had an enormous knock-on effect in the surrounding area.

“I will be watching the independent appeal panel’s decisions very closely to see how they help to resolve this problem.

“In the meantime, I will be doing

all I can to help and support parents through this extremely worrying and stressful time. Details of a meeting I am arranging for those affected parents will be confirmed very soon.

“I urge every parent who finds themselves in this situation to use their right of appeal and put their child’s name on the relevant school’s waiting list immediately.”