A PRESTON couple has slammed Lancashire Education Authority for turning down their daughter's appeal for a school place -- in a letter dated the day before the hearing.

Mark and Tracey Tunesi have been desperately trying to register their four-year-old daughter Lauren at Roebuck Primary School, the closest to their home.

Mark said: "We were told that Lauren hadn't got a place at the school but were told that we could appeal.

"Both my wife and I work so we organised a morning off to go to the appeal.

"After hearing what we had to say, they told us that they would let us know.

"The next day we hadn't heard anything so I rang the county council and was told that the appeal had been rejected.

"But when we got home, there was a letter waiting for us informing us of their decision. But it was dated the day before the hearing took place! I was stunned.

"Thankfully Tracey called the school and the headmaster found that one of the new intake wasn't taking their place and we have managed to get Lauren a place.

"The headmaster was fantastic and the school really helped us. But the whole appeals system seems wrong to me."

A Lancashire Education Authority spokesman said: "I have spoken to the people in appeals. They have a particular computer system which is set up so that if it isn't shut down and re-started the next day, it holds the date of the day before.

"I have had assurances that appeal decisions are not made until after the hearings. Appeals for each particular school are heard on different days and the decision is made after all the relevant appeals have been heard. It was an administrative error that the letter has the wrong date on it and we can assure Mr Tunesi that the decision wasn't taken before the meeting took place."

But Mark added: "We haven't even received a written apology, which is unfair and unprofessional behaviour from a body which all parents and guardians are supposed to be able to trust.

"I hope in future that the county council introduce a procedure for proofing letters before they are sent out to parents as this would prevent the stress and ill feeling this episode has caused."