PENDLE councillors have tried in vain to get the area's traditional Wakes Weeks school holidays reinstated.

For 150 years, school holidays in Burnley and Pendle have been different from the rest of the county to take account of the traditional local mill holidays.

They finished earlier for summer than other areas, went back in August and then had another break in September at the time of the Wakes Week.

Lancashire County Council brought Burnley and Pendle's school year in line with the rest of the county in June.

But many parents are unhappy at the move, which will give pupils a nine-week summer holiday this year as part of the transition, and Sacred Heart RC Primary School in Colne has said it will stick to the traditional breaks.

It is a voluntary-aided school so governors can act independently of the Local Education Authority.

Pendle councillors David Whipp and Sonia Robinson tried to persuade Lancashire County Council to look again at the decision but Labour and Conservative councillors voted against the move.

West Craven's Coun Whipp said: "There is undiminished resentment at the action of this county council scrapping traditional holiday patterns in this area. Next year's nine week summer holidays have been greeted with disbelief by people from all walks of life. There are issues over child care, nurseries, bored teenagers and anti-social behaviour." He added: "There are some questions about the consultation. There are high levels of opposition in Pendle. Six out of ten heads, seven out of ten staff and nine out of ten parents are opposed to what was put forward."

But other councillors were unimpressed with Coun Whipp's efforts to raise the issue. Chorley Rural East Coun Pat Case said: "The holidays are totally outdated. These industries no longer exist. What we've got is an attempt to bring Burnley and Pendle in line with the rest of Lancashire because of the difficulties of retaining and recruiting teachers in the Burnley and Pendle area. Very often they are young parents themselves and want to have the same holidays as their children. It is not a swipe at Burnley and Pendle."

Cabinet member for schools Coun Alan Whittaker, who made the decision said: "Let's finish with this once and for all and get one holiday pattern right across Lancashire."

And he has insisted the council carried out full consultation, with 25,000 copies of the consultation document sent to schools, 500,000 copies of newsletter Vision contained details and people could find out about it online