A SMALL village school on the border of Yorkshire and Lancashire has finally closed.
In April, Education Secretary David Blunkett decided to rubber-stamp the decision by Lancashire County Council to close Tosside school, despite a lengthy campaign to try to save it.
The nine pupils who attended the school will have to travel several miles to alternative classes.
Tosside Community Action Group and the Bradford Church of England Diocese claimed that the county council failed to tackle developing problems at the school over several years. And they said that there had been a steady stream of complaints from parents over deteriorating relationships and standards.
Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, said: "Labour's annual report went on about the importance of education, but the county council has still gone ahead with the closure of Gisburn Forest Tosside School today.
"This school has been open 150 years. Its loss is a tragedy for the village, the parents, the children and the people of the village.
"It has survived governments of all parties, Liberal, Conservative and Labour but it could not survive this new Labour government."
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