Parents campaigning to save Braintree's Chapel Hill County School are all set to take their protests to County Hall on March 26, when the matter is due to be discussed by the education panel.

This is the latest in a line of action from campaigners who have already held a demonstration outside the school, taken their cause to the House of Commons and held two packed-out public meetings since learning that the education authority planned to close the school this summer.

At a public meeting at Alec Hunter High School on Friday, around 230 people gathered to give their support to the school, with councillors from each political party offering their backing.

Chairman of governors, Dave Rogers, said: "The meeting went well, there wasn't one person there who spoke out against keeping the school open."

He said that morale remained high. The report of the latest visit from government inspectors has shown an improvement and 12 teachers have shown an interest in the vacant head teacher position.

"With the HMI stating that progress has started, staffing levels starting to firm up and all political groups supporting us. Why are they still wanting to push ahead with the closure?

"There is still a fight to be fought, I don't think it is a war or battle we just need to push home points we have made," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.