PRIME Minister Gordon Brown has pledged to look into the planned closure of two Colchester secondary schools.

Colchester MP Bob Russell raised the proposed closure of Alderman Blaxill and Thomas Lord Audley schools during Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament yesterday.

The schools would be shut as part of a £130million reorganisation of secondary education in Colchester, which would also see Sir Charles Lucas Arts College transformed into an academy.

Other schools in the borough, including Stanway and Philip Morant, would be expanded to take on extra pupils. But Mr Russell told Parliament he did not believe that would be sufficient to offer a place to every 11-year-old in years to come.

He told MPs: “Colchester is the fastest growing borough in the country.

“Despite that, Tory-controlled Essex County Council plans to shut two of the town’s seven secondary schools.

“It is now known the council massaged the figures on projected pupil numbers.

“Does the Prime Minister, therefore, agree the reorganisation proposals should be investigated by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator, particularly as Essex County Council gave false information to the Department for Children, Schools and Families?”

In his response, Mr Brown said: “I shall look at the matter.

“Was it not the Leader of the Opposition [David Cameron] who said, ‘If you want to know what a Conservative Government will look like, look at the Tory councils’? The Tory council in the honourable gentleman’s constituency proves the point.”

Afterwards, Essex County Council spokesman Michael Page said: “Mr Russell is entitled to his personal views.

“Parliamentary privilege, of course, allows parliamentarians the freedom to say whatever they like, regardless of the accuracy of their comments.

“Essex County Council is committed to improving the quality of education for all children in Colchester.”

Afterwards, Mr Russell said the “massaged” claim referred to figures which he claimed showed Philip Morant might have to take on more pupils than previously expected.

He said his referral to “false information” was following a response made by Schools Secretary Ed Balls in May 2008 after Mr Russell quizzed him on the future of Thomas Lord Audley and Alderman Blaxill.

Mr Balls said: “Essex County Council has explained its preferred approach is to build on the existing partnership with Stanway School.”

Mr Russell said in October that year, the county council then set out proposals to close Thomas Lord Audley and Alderman Blaxill.