HEADTEACHERS in Bromsgrove could have new school buildings but not the staff to fill them due to an increasing cash crisis across the county.

Concerned headteachers at a number of town schools could have to axe staff this September, as they cannot afford to keep them on the pay roll.

Cash-strapped schools in Worcestershire have already lost 100 teaching staff to neighbouring counties including Birmingham and Warwickshire, where they get a larger slice of Government funding.

Phil McTague, chairman of the Worcestershire Headteacher's Forum, said: "Although this is not the case, at South Bromsgrove High School, where I am headteacher, I know it is of concern for at least one or two heads in the town."

Bromsgrove recently secured a £60m jackpot to extend and rebuild ten town schools including both North and South Bromsgrove high schools. The cash, provided by a private finance initiative, will be used to reduce increasing class sizes and modernise outdated buildings.

"We could have all these fantastic new buildings without the staff to fill them, which I think, is perverse," added Mr McTague.

The Government has already allocated emergency funding to Worcestershire however this has not been enough due to the increase in National Insurance payments, which started in April.

"Many schools in county are now working at a loss, some of up to a quarter of a million pounds in a year," said Mr McTague.

He called for the county to be paid extra cash through the Area Cost Adjustment, which could be worth up to £10m extra a year.

Area Cost Adjustment is a financial weighting determined by the average cost of living in an area. It is already allocated to schools in neighbouring counties.