A FAIR funding campaigner was granted a personal audience with Tony Blair during his visit to Worcestershire - but got just two minutes to state her case.

While the Prime Minister snubbed the Evening News on Tuesday's trip, he and Education Minister Ruth Kelly spoke to Evesham parent, Helen Donovan.

Last year, Mrs Donovan drew up a petition signed by 5,000 people calling for the county to receive more Government cash for schools - since 1997 it has slipped from 17th in funding tables to bottom of all 32 education authorities.

Mrs Donovan was invited to put her case in two minutes with the pair before they gave a seminar at a sports centre in Redditch.

"I explained to him that I know someone has got to be bottom of the table but my gripe was that we were an average county in 1997. I wanted him to justify our relegation in the funding table," said Mrs Donovan.

"He listened intently and Ruth Kelly said we had a thousand pound per child extra. I don't think we have - I think it is £680 in real terms.

"If we have had extra money, everyone else has had more. The difference between us and the national average has trebled since 1997.

"He promised to look at it, took the figures and asked me to e-mail what I think is wrong.

"He promised he and Ruth Kelly would come back with an explanation. I'll be really interested to see that, because I don't think he can explain it."

Officials from Downing Street initially refused to allow her to see Mr Blair but reversed their decision when she began to be interviewed by TV reporters.

Mrs Donovan, who has already e-mailed the Prime Minister, was happy with the visit despite receiving no assurance that the county's fall in the tables would be addressed.

"It wasn't a disappointment because I don't think a lot of information gets to that level," she said.

Mr Blair declined to answer questions from the Evening News when he visited the Upton Warren Outdoor Education Centre, near Droitwich, before travelling to Redditch.