DESPERATE pleas were made to council education bosses last night by more than 140 Southampton parents who fear two of the city's schools will be closed.

Parents at Mansel Infant and Mansel Junior schools in Millbrook spoke out against a proposed shake-up, which could see both schools closed and pupils relocated.

The parents aired their concerns at the last of four public meetings held to discuss council proposals aimed at tackling declining birth-rates by reducing the number of school places in Redbridge and Millbrook by 400.

Among the proposals is an option to close the 126-pupil Mansel Infant School and 161-pupil Mansel Junior schools, which together have 133 spare places.

Proposals also include the expansion and relocation of Redbridge Primary, which currently has about 200 pupils.

Other schools affected include Mason Moor Primary, Newlands Primary and Tanners Brook Infant and Junior schools.

Parents at the Mansel schools have formed the Mansel United for Primary action group, which proposes an amalgamation of the two schools.

Action group member Anna Baddams, of Millbrook, said: "If we don't want to send our kids to other schools, is the government going to pay for home tuition? My little girl is six and before she came here she had no self-esteem at all and now she has everything she needs.

"This is her school and I will not send her to another one."

The review comes after the government awarded South-ampton local education authority £2.9m to rebuild the 340-pupil Newlands Primary School in Ullswater Road, Millbrook and £2.9m to revamp the 191-pupil Redbridge Primary School.

Andrew Hind, head of policy and planning for education at Southampton City Council, said: "Don't assume we are going to close these school. There are six proposals and all are valid for consideration."

A period of public consultation over the proposals will end on April 11. The City Council's Cabinet will make its final recommendations at a meeting on May 9.