REBUILD Beech Down Primary School - that's the message of a Gazette campaign being launched today.

Parents, staff and pupils were devastated after Hampshire education chief Don Allen announced that the Basingstoke school - seriously damaged by fire two years ago - is to shut in 2004.

The news was too much for some to bear as parents arrived to collect their children on Thursday afternoon.

Seven-year-old John Brook was one pupil who could not hold back his tears.

His mother Debbie, 43, whose daughter Joanna, eight, also attends the school, said: "John's upset because he loves coming to this school. He's got a lot of friends here, he's settled and he doesn't want it to close - none of us wants it to close."

Debbie threw a challenge down to any education officials or councillors at County Hall in Winchester who believe the school should close.

She said: "They should come down here and look at children like John and the parents who are absolutely devastated by what they are doing."

One of the options that was presented to Cllr Allen was to rebuild the school on the same site but on a smaller scale.

That is what The Gazette believes should happen and that is the aim of our campaign which already has the backing of senior politicians in Basingstoke.

Basingstoke council leader Brian Gurden believes Cllr Allen's decision to axe Beech Down Primary is "anti-Basingstoke and anti-Brighton Hill."

Cllr Gurden - who is also a member of Hampshire County Council and a borough councillor for Brighton Hill - feels that those who fought to keep the school open have suffered "the death of a thousand cuts".

He expects Cllr Allen's decision will be called in by the county overview and scrutiny committee.

Asked for his reaction to Cllr Allen's decision not to rebuild Beech Down but instead to expand St Mark's Primary School to 630 places and add an extra classroom to Chalk Ridge Primary School, Cllr Gurden said: "I feel pretty gutted about the decision. I think it's anti-Basingstoke - it's certainly anti-Brighton Hill. I put forward a list of strong arguments in favour of the community and its people.

"I believe this is theft, pure and simple. The £2.5million insurance on the school has been appropriated for strategic purposes elsewhere. And in addition to that, the impetus for not rebuilding is to sell the land the school stands on for £4.5million for development.

"That is the £7million that Don Allen has the cheek to claim is going to be the county investing in primary education in south-west Basingstoke. It's not new investment. It's just a transfer payment, bailing out the strategic problems that the county education department has been unable to find the money to resolve.

"By presenting six possible options - two of which involved the rebuilding of the school - they have kept alive the hopes of the children, teachers, governors of Beech Down school and the local community.

"It was a death of a thousand cuts for them when eventually the decision was to wipe out the school completely. I think it's a disgrace.

"Since the fire, everyone connected with Beech Down has pulled out all the stops and the community has rallied together. The school has improved and has just had an outstanding Ofsted report. But they have all been betrayed."

Cllr Gurden believes that the statistics about falling rolls used in the argument against a new school at Beech Down were flawed because a new building coupled with the improvements already made at the school would attract more pupils.

"We are talking about children, people and communities here - not chequers on a chequer board," he went on. "It is more important to look after the assets that established communities have enjoyed over the years than to put in new facilities for a new community that has not yet got them."

Referring to The Gazette campaign, Cllr Gurden said: "I support your campaign for the rebuilding of Beech Down and I hope it is successful."

Conservative councillor Phil Heath also backs the campaign. He said: "I'm working with Brian Gurden and the borough chief executive to show other alternatives which have not been considered. We're trying to get more evidence to show the decision Cllr Allen made is wrong in that it does not solve the problems for Brighton Hill whereas rebuilding Beech Down would."

Another supporter of The Gazette campaign is borough Labour group leader Chris Connor. He got to take part in last week's education policy review committee debate as a co-opted member for education but was unable to vote.

Cllr Connor said: "I've not really calmed down from hearing the decision. It appears to be financial rather than educational grounds that have prevailed."