PLACES will be snapped up quickly at Ampfield CE Primary School.

That's the message from parents and governors at the 108-year-old school, who learned yesterday that it was to be saved. As reported in later editions of the Daily Echo yesterday, the tiny village school celebrated an 11th-hour rescue when Hampshire County Council made an extraordinary U-turn on its original decision.

Cabinet members voted unanimously to overturn last October's decision to close the school, saying information had come to light, mainly about how the building was used by the community, that called the ruling into question.

Jubilant campaigners shed tears of joy as the verdict was announced.

Now Ampfield leaders are urging parents to get their child's name down quickly.

Chairman of governors Tony Knight said: "We have 45 children already coming to the school, as a result of pledges from parents, and it is really going to start filling up quite rapidly"

Governor Charlie Allen said: "Parents are welcome to come and have a look round the school - we promise they won't regret it."

Late education boss Don Allen made the decision to close Ampfield in October last year. The ruling came before the Schools Organisation Committee earlier this year, which failed to reach an agreement.

It then fell to an independent adjudicator to make the final decision, but when the adjudicator went to meet Ampfield parents last week, a letter from Hampshire County Council leader Ken Thornber stated that he was going to call back the decision for a review.

The county's new education boss David Kirk told the Daily Echo: "I felt the arguments were compelling enough to look at it again.

"We looked at it in the round and this was absolutely the right result."