SCHOOLS across Worcestershire will be £30 million better off over the next five years under a Lib Dem Government, the party has claimed.

Stephen Kearney, the party's Worcester parliamentary candidate, says county schools would benefit from £30.6 million in extra cash by 2021.

The figure follows a manifesto pledge to put an extra £6.9 billion into schools nationwide, funded by what leader Tim Farron calls "staying in the EU single market".

Mr Kearney has also hit out at "overcrowding" in schools, something refuted by Worcester's Tory parliamentary candidate.

The Lib Dem breakdown, seen by this newspaper, includes £24.3 million to protect 'per pupil' funding, £2.9 million to boost the National Funding Formula and £3.2 million into the pupil premium.

Mr Kearney said: "Children in Worcester are being taught in overcrowded classes by overworked teachers, but Theresa May doesn't care.

"Under the Conservatives funding per pupil is set to see the biggest cuts in a generation, while billions of pounds are being spent on divisive plans to expand grammars and free schools.

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"This extra funding would ensure no school and no child loses out.

"We will reverse crippling Conservative cuts to school budgets and invest to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed."

But Mr Walker said: "I speak to schools and teachers all the time and the one thing that's not been raised with me is over-crowding.

"I've seen the Lib Dems saying this but it's certainly not something I recognise locally, "One issue we have had is not enough school places in the right areas of Worcester, so we've provided more money for that.

"What they are saying about money is all well and good but I don't think they'll be forming a government, so they'll never be held to account for it."

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He said as Worcester's last MP he has helped secure £15 million extra for county schools, ahead of a new funding formula shake-up.

Labour want to sink an extra £5 billion into schools by hiking corporation tax from 19 per cent to 26 per cent by 2021.

Back in December we revealed how Worcestershire's schools had been promised an extra £9 million in 2018 and 2019, taking their overall funding from £349 million to £358 million.

But the long-awaited 'fairer funding' deal has been delayed until 2020, with that cash sweetener a stop-gap measure.

Worcestershire County Council's leadership has been critical of the delays, with three city primaries - Stanley Road, Red Hill and Hollymount - actually due to lose money under the interim changes due to the complicated nature of the calculations.