EDUCATION for a generation of children could be blighted by plans to rebuild Christopher Whitehead High on its present site, the county council has warned.

The county's preferred plan to sell the dilapidated 1960s St John's school site to supermarket giant Tesco, and rebuild on a new site outside Worcester, was rejected last month.

Now Worcester MP Mike Foster and Councillor Richard Udall have backed calls from parents and residents for the site to be revamped, saying "enough's enough".

But county council cabinet member for education June Longmuir says "we might end up with a disturbed generation of pupils" if that happens.

PARENTS, residents, councillors and Worcester MP Mike Foster are today calling for plans to move the crumbling Christopher Whitehead School out of St John's to be dropped immediately - and the whole school rebuilt at its current Bromwich Road site.

But the county council has warned that a generation of children could be blighted if they are forced to learn in a building site. The existing 1960s-built school would remain while new buildings were put up, and old ones refurbished.

Mr Foster and Worcestershire County Councillor, Richard Udall said the delivery of education was being hampered because of dithering over different proposals.

"Enough is enough," said Mr Foster. "We can't have a generation of kids waiting for a decision that may never come. Let's get the school rebuilt at its existing location and get moving."

But June Longmuir, Conservative county councillor and cabinet member for education said the rebuilding programme would affect a generation of pupils.

"Kids don't disappear in a puff of smoke. The school is going to increase over the next couple of years, and where do you put 1,200 pupils during rebuilding?

"There is no room to rebuild the school without knocking it down first.''

Chrissies' future has been in the balance for five years, with both Tesco and Sainsbury's vying to buy the site.

Worcestershire LEA has consistently favoured building a brand new school in Rushwick.

But last month, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister rejected the LEA's plans to move the school.

Mr Udall said Local Education Authority money had been promised with or without a Tesco contribution, and now was the time to start spending it on a rebuilding and refurbishment programme.

"The LEA must now tear up the lock-out agreement it had with Tesco for funding and start planning on the present site," he said.

Paul Saunders, a protester against a relocation through CHRISS (Community Has Rights in School Site), welcomed the unified stance of Mr Udall and Mr Foster.

"They are speaking a great deal of sense, and I support them 100 per cent."

Headteacher of the school, Neil Morris, said a concrete decision and time frame for changed would be "a blessed relief".