A PARISH council has backed a school that came under fire over plans to build a major new sports centre.

Cleobury Mortimer Parish Council has passed a motion of "complete confidence" in Lacon Childe School which hopes for Sports College status and a £1 million state-of-the-art centre within two years.

The move was sparked by dismay at reports last month that residents were concerned children might be victimised at the school if their parents were against the scheme.

The row blew up when parish councillor Betty Davies spoke up for residents in Catherton Road whose 100-name petition expressed fears the narrow road would not provide suitable access for the centre.

The council and promoters of the scheme have been accused of ignoring the concerns of people living in the area.

The motion was passed by seven votes to two, with Mrs Davies and Councillor Ken Reynolds voting against, at a meeting on Monday night.

Council chairman Adrian Pearce said: "We did not think the reported concerns of residents about bullying and victimisation were at all justified.

"However, we do take seriously the worries some local people have about the narrow access to the proposed site."

The plan has been controversial ever since it was first mooted.

Mrs Davies said before the meeting: "I have been concerned about biased reports that 99 per cent of people approve of the plan when there were 32 people at the presentation meeting who I know were against it and think the access is awful.

" I am not against the sports centre but we should be shown a business plan and have a proper survey of opinion. I want them to think again."

The Sports 2000 Project would include football and rugby pitches, a running track, a multi-use games area, tennis and netball courts and a sports hall and gallery.