THOUSANDS of people are banding together in a massive show of defiance against plans to close schools in Herefordshire.

A huge rally will take place in Hereford city centre on Wednesday organised by Herefordshire Against Closing Schools (HACS).

The start point for the rally is the Merton Meadow car park, behind Hereford Football ground, with rally-goers meeting at 10am, to be ready to start the march at 11am.

It will then take a route of about 45 minutes through the centre of Hereford, before finishing in High Town for closing speeches.

Thousands of peaceful protestors are expected to take part, including the children and parents of affected schools, Young Farmers, and the National Farmers Union.

Co-founders of HACS, Jane Ward and Eugene Gooch, said: "It is just as important to hold the rally now as it was when the proposals were first issued.

"The council is saying that the proposals have been withdrawn, when in fact, HACS knows that council officials are already implementing them by refusing places at schools on the closure list to parents who request them.

"Other parents have started to withdraw children from schools marked for closure, and this just leads to the council's plans winning through the back door.

"Therefore parents must not be dissuaded from their choice of school by these reprehensible and underhand tactics.

"Everyone responsible for these plans must be left in no doubt that the people of Herefordshire simply will not accept any proposal that means the decimation of education in Hereford."

HACS encourages any member of the public to join the thousands that are expected to attend.