A SEVERE lack of secondary school places in Harpenden and St Albans has led to calls for a change in the system.

St Albans MP Kerry Pollard has joined disillusioned parents in calling for more places to be found to keep up with growing demand.

He said: 'In the last couple of years all our St Albans secondary schools have been fully subscribed, because all our schools are good and therefore popular.

'This has meant that some of our own children have had to travel to schools in Watford and Hemel Hempstead.

'The time has come to provide extra places in our St Albans schools.'

The MP has met with Hertfordshire County Council director of education Ray Shostak, to press the case for new places.

He warned increasing housing development in the city would put added pressure onto already over-stretched resources.

Mr Pollard said: 'With so many additional houses being built, the need is becoming more acute, in particular for two additional entry forms.

'I will be pressing for this and will lend my full support to a bid to the Secretary of State for the necessary funding.'

But it is not just parents in the city who are unhappy with the present admissions system.

Chairman of Redbourn Parish Council Tony Swendell believes parents in rural communities have been hardest hit.

He claims the admissions system has effectively, 'split the village in two', with children living on the west of Lybury Lane being allocated places at secondary schools in Hemel Hempstead, while their peers attend schools in Harpenden.

Mr Swendell said: 'First rural people lose their bank, then their post office, they have a lousy bus service and now find themselves disadvantaged in terms of school places.'

Although following a bitter fight by parents, most children in the village have now been offered their preferred places, for some this backdown has come too late.

Mr Keith Staniforth of Hemel Hempstead Road, Redbourn, is seeking financial redress from the county council after he was left with a £2,500 bill after signing a contract with St Albans School.

His son was originally offered a place at Astley Cooper School in Hemel Hempstead, despite the school not being among the three on his parents' preferred list.

After visiting what Mr Staniforth dubbed 'the school from hell', he decided to make alternative arrangements, only to be told two weeks ago that there was a place available at Roundwood Park School in Harpenden.

He said: 'I am not happy with the shabby way we have been treated by the county council.

'It flies in the face of the Government's commitment to 'education, education, education'. Other children moved into the village and were immediately offered places at a Harpenden school, while we were left hanging in the balance. Our son felt deeply unsettled while all this was going on and we felt we had to take action, but now because we have signed the contract we have been left with a bill for the first term.'

In a statement, the county council's education department said: 'We have already had detailed discussions with nine St Albans secondary school headteachers about the growing demand for places.

'The bid we will make to the department for education in September will be for about 250 places across the five year groups of 11 to 16 year olds.

'County councillors fully support the bid and we are grateful to local MP Kerry Pollard for his backing.'