COUNCIL tax payers are footing the £270,000 bill to get rid of dozens of mobile classrooms in Swindon - as the council fights to get £12m for more permanent school buildings.

The current initiative is to get rid of mobiles in schools which already have new buildings.

The Government has ordered the council to demolish or remove the mobiles but has not provided the cash to do it.

Swindon's Education Partnership Board has approved £270,000 in funding for the work at six primary schools - Freshbrook, Haydonleigh, Saltway, Toothill, Brookfield and Rodbourne Cheney.

The new lead member for education, Garry Perkins (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms), is tackling the Government over a funding crisis for Swindon's schools.

Mobile classrooms are unpopular with teachers and pupils because children are cut off from the rest of the school and the rooms are often draughty or uncomfortable.

But, the council's education department estimates it will cost £12 million to replace all the temporary classrooms in the borough with permanent buildings and is currently investigating ways of getting extra funding through the Government's Building New Schools Initiative.

Mr Perkins said: "We have got to be realistic that £12 million to replace temporary classes isn't loose change and won't be easy to find. But we would like to think the money would come from the Government and we will be striving for as low a council tax as possible. We know there is tremendous pressures on taxpayers in Swindon and there is no way we are suddenly putting a £12 million surcharge on them."

Some 25 per cent of Swindon pupils - just under 7,250 children - are currently taught in mobile classes.

Swindon Council's assistant director of education Kate Reynolds said: "This programme only deals with the removal of temporary accommodation at schools where the demand no longer exists. There is an urgent need to tackle the temporary accommodation in those schools where demand continues to exist but where the temporary accommodation is of such poor quality that it is impeding the schools' ability to raise standards."