PARENTS who fell victim to the school places crisis in West Swindon have set up a protest group.

West Swindon Parents Improving Education says it is forming in response to years of council mismanagement that meant that hundreds of pupils still do not have a place at secondary school.

Now parents of pupils at schools in West Swindon are unable to send their pupils to the traditional destinations of Bradon Forest or Greendown schools because of housing growth.

Homes have been built in West Swindon but the number of school places has not kept up, meaning that parents are forced to look around the town for a secondary school with spare places.

Chairman Andrew Hill said: "Swindon Council has known for years that a huge problem with admissions to secondary schools in West Swindon was on the horizon and they failed to take action.

"Ever since the Ofsted report, parents have not seen evidence that the local education authority has taken any positive action.

"Instead, it stumbles from one disaster to another and continues to mislead parents.

"West Swindon is now a community similar in size to Salisbury and we demand satisfactory education for our children." He explained the group has three major objectives.

The first is to support the planned expansion of Greendown School with extra year seven places, with 150 set to be provided for.

The second aim is to ensure all their children obtain a place at a secondary school with a satisfactory standard of education in West Swindon.

The final objective is to work with pupils of year five, who are due to start secondary school in 2003, so they can try to stop this problem happening year after year.

The group are holding a public meeting at 7pm tomorrow at Bramptons club house in Shaw Ridge.

To ensure there is enough room for everyone wishing to attend contact Mr Hill on Swindon 871825 to confirm your attendance.