CONSULTATION over controversial plans to merge two single sex schools in a Kent town ends on Monday.

Medway Council wants to merge Temple and Chapter schools in Strood, close the two sites and form an academy.

The proposal has been welcomed by Temple head teacher Neil McAree but has been opposed by staff, pupils and parents at Chapter who have since formed an action group called Support Our Chapter Kids (SOCK)

The group started a petition urging Medway Council to rethink its proposal and set a target of 10,000 signatures. So far 9,000 have been collected.

In a bid to reach their target, members of SOCK will be taking a copy of the petition to Chatham's Dockside Outlet Centre and the Pentagon Shopping Centre from 10am tomorrow, where they will be urging shoppers to show their support by signing it.

Hopes of last-minute support on the group's online petition have been dashed. It was due to run until Monday, but organisers have been forced to withdraw it tonight because of the number of silly messages being written by youngsters.

More on the schools' merger in Monday's Medway Messenger