PARENTS of children at a New Forest infant school threatened by a plan to merge with the nearby junior school have demonstrated the pick-up time nightmare which could follow amalgamation.

At Langdown Infant School in Hythe, parents took advantage of a day closure to take their children and cars to Langdown Junior at 3pm, to show how school-run chaos could result from plans to amalgamate the two schools into one 270-pupil unit.

The Langdown schools are two of 13 on the Waterside made subject to an educational review because of falling pupil numbers.

Hampshire education bosses say there are too many surplus school places in the New Forest, and the spotlight has fallen on the Waterside because most of its infant and junior schools are within a mile of each other, making mergers feasible.

But since the shock scheme was announced in April, Waterside schools have rallied to protest against the plan. Lively parents' meetings have been held at several of the affected schools - which include Calmore Infant and Junior, Blackfield Infant and Junior, and three schools in Holbury.

At Langdown too, parents showed they were game for a fight as they parked on verges outside the junior school at 2.45pm.

Local dad David Ley of Hollybank said: "We have come here today not to cause aggravation but to show what traffic could be like. Congestion would be four-fold and our children would be at risk."

Steve Wilson, whose five children have passed through the two Langdown schools over 20 years, said: "I want my grandchildren to go to these schools. I want them to stay as they are. There are springs under the playing fields at the junior school anyway. You would not be able to build extra classrooms there."

Sarah Lawrance, mother of pupils at both the infant and junior school, said: "Langdown Infant is a perfect school with a great staff and lots of space."

Hampshire education officials are to hold an information meeting at Langdown Infant School on July 14 at 6.30pm.

On Tuesday, July 8 at 11.30am, parents and children from the school will be walking to Hythe town centre to distribute Save Our School leaflets.