Parents whose children failed to get into a local school were today circulating a pre-election leaflet attacking York's Labour-controlled council.

Adele Coupe said her son, William Campbell, was one of five children from the Fishergate area who had lost their appeal to go to Fulford School.

A local campaign group, Local Schools For Local Children, had been pressing for an extra classroom for the school.

Twelve of the children originally refused places at Fulford have won places on appeal, but the rest still face a lengthy trek across town to attend Archbishop Holgate's School.

The leaflet says: "Families have been affected city-wide. This policy goes against Labour's pledges to cut traffic, reduce pollution and ensure safe walking routes to school."

Mrs Coupe said: "It's another broken Labour promise, I'm just so wound up about this. They just keep changing the rules."

"William's really upset because he thought they would have taken the other five children, after the rest won their appeals."

Ms Coupe called for other parents to help distribute the leaflet.

Phillip Wells, of the city council's education department, said that no decision had yet been taken on whether Fulford School would be provided with an extra classroom, as the appeals process was still going on.

But local Labour councillor John Boardman said the leaflet was unfair on himself and fellow Labour ward councillor Roger Farrington, who had supported the parents' campaign.

"The Labour Party has not broken any promises at all. We have followed the rules that were laid down to determine which children went to which school."

"I think it is unfair - as local councillors, we've been supporting the parents from the beginning.

"I presented their petition to the full council, and went on the protest march. I even fought one appeal as a spokesman on behalf of a neighbour."

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