TWO Worcestershire councils fighting over the relocation of a Worcester school have run up bills totalling almost £200,000 in the dispute.

Worcestershire County Council has revealed, under questioning from Worcester MP Michael Foster, that it has spent £177,972 on consultancy and legal fees in the failed attempt to resite Christopher Whitehead High School, in St John's outside the city.

The city council spent another £17,000 on legal assistance for the planning inquiry into the scheme, which involved supermarket Tesco taking over the site and building a new school.

Labour MP Mr Foster condemned the amount of council taxpayers' money spent on the fight between two Conservative-run councils, calculating that the £194,972 total would have been enough to buy every incoming Year 7 pupil a laptop computer.

He said: "Money that should have been spent in schools, on books, computers or teachers has been thrown at lawyers whilst two Tory councils fight it out between themselves.

"I am staggered that we, the local council taxpayer, has footed the bill and what's more, the county council are considering appealing against the decision - more money stuffed into the pockets of the lawyers.

"What is going on at County Hall? What are the political leaders doing apart from pouring good money after bad? It is an unedifying sight to see two Tory-run councils fighting like ferrets in a sack, made worse only by the fact that everyone else is paying the bill."

Mr Foster called for the relocation plans to be abandoned and for the councils to concentrate their efforts on rebuilding and refurbishing the school on its present site.

"Chrissies needs rebuilding and fast," he said.

"This school and its pupils have waited for Tesco's pot of gold and it didn't appear. Now is time to call a halt and start spending money on the school, not lawyers.

"I think parents will be incandescent with anger that nearly £200,000 has been wasted when it could have been spent on their children's education.