TESCO is not the only organisation to have made a bid to raze a Worcester high school and build on its site, Worcestershire County Council has revealed.

The council advertised the Christopher Whitehead site in St John's in the Official Journal of the European Communities and asked for tenders.

Members of the executive committee at County Hall will hear an update on Monday.

Malcolm Williams, head of property services, confirmed Tesco was the preferred bidder.

But the deal rested on planning permission for both the supermarket and the school, he added.

"More than one party was interested in the Christopher Whitehead High School site once we advertised in the European journal," said Mr Williams.

"All the firms who showed an interest were British. One was picked as the preferred bidder because it could provide a replacement school in or adjacent to the catchment area and the others couldn't."

Earls Court Farm, west of Dines Green, is the suggested location for a new school.

The executive committee would discuss "the broad contract" with Tesco, said Mr Williams.

Tesco has already offered to pay for a new nine-form entry school, the costs of which would probably be between £12m and £15m.

Mr Williams said he believed Tesco would submit a planning application by the end of July, because Sainsbury's and Asda had been given dates for appeal hearings against Worcester City Council.

Earlier this year the city council turned down both chains' proposals for supermarkets, as well as plans by Safeway.

A spokesman for Tesco said today the company had not yet bought land in Worcester, but would consider "property matters" on Monday.

Meanwhile, a consortium of landowners has sold land at Grove Farm in St John's.

Agents acting for the new owners declined to speak to the Evening News about who had bought the site.