ANGRY parents marched on a "totally inadequate" surgery-style meeting to protest against mooted closures and mergers of Wyre Forest schools.

Scores of mums, dads and pupils descended on Kidderminster College on Tuesday to protest at how the meetings were being carried out by Worcestershire County Council, claiming they were not being given the right forum to air their views.

The crowd walked from Lea Street First School in Kidderminster to the town centre college for the meeting - the last of three to discuss "round two" of the council's Wyre Forest Review.

The first part of the review - which is likely to be the most dramatic shake-up of the district's education system in decades - drew packed crowds to heated public meetings at each school but these have now been replaced by one-on-one surgery-style sessions.

Mum, Lucy Willetts, said: "Schools affected by this latest round of proposals have all asked for a public meeting and they have all been denied it.

"A public meeting would have officials from the local education authority who can answer questions to all of us but, to be honest, I think they are scared and don't want another meeting at a school."

Parents from the 14 schools affected by the proposals aimed at reducing surplus places were invited to the latest surgery, which took place from 2.30pm to 7pm.

Worcestershire county councillor for St Chad, Mike Oborski, has campaigned for Lea Street, which could merge with Comberton First or Offmore First under the new plans which will be considered by the council's cabinet in July.

He said: "The parents at Lea Street and at Offmore and Comberton feel very strongly that the sort of consultation on offer wasn't consultation. They didn't want to be passed off in ones and twos but have a meeting where everybody could share the same information.

"Parents feel they are being treated badly by proposals that simply couldn't work, with a consultation that is totally inadequate."

The council's head of education policy development, Colin Weeden, did come outside to talk to the protesting parents, yet Mr Oborski said the crowd remained unimpressed with the three meetings.