Parents at Queen Anne School today accused education bosses of ignoring the feelings of the community in pressing ahead with plans to axe their school.

The City of York Council education committee meets tonight to approve a consultation over the proposal to close the secondary school in 2000.

But parents branded the consultation a sham and said they suspected the decision was already done and dusted.

Sheila Evans, chairman of the parent teacher association, predicted that events would mirror the consultation over the controversial decision to merge Queen Anne with Canon Lee School, a decision later overturned by the Government.

She said: "It seems as if it's a foregone conclusion. The consultation is not worth the paper it is written on. They did it last time and the majority was against the merger, which they tried to go ahead with anyway.

"Where does parental choice come in? Parents chose Queen Anne. The Government is always banging on about being able to walk to school, and that's exactly what happens at Queen Anne, but not if the children are forced to go to schools further away.

"They just seem a bit too keen on closing it. What is going on?"

City of York Council director of education Mike Peters said: "The consultation is not a foregone conclusion. My concern is that we do need to address the issue of surplus places.

"It is important that we look at making sure funding goes to where children are, rather than to empty desks."

And he said the school would not necessarily close: "There is a possibility of the proposals not being acceptable. Then of course Queen Anne will remain open. We have to go into it with an open mind, but there is an issue to addressed. We can't sit and do nothing."

York councillor Eurig Thomas, the Liberal Democrat spokesman on education, warned: "This time we must ensure consultation is genuine, widespread and sympathetic. If Queen Anne is to be closed as a school, then the assets on the site must be used as a valuable and thriving community resource."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.