ANGRY parents at two Kidderminster schools have signed more than 200 protest letters demanding extra Government cash for education.

More than 100 have so far been signed by parents of children at St John's CE First School, Blakebrook, and a similar number have been returned to Wolverley High School.

The campaign for fair funding was launched in Wyre Forest a week ago after Worcestershire appeared 33rd out of 34 counties for Government funding per pupil.

The money for 2003-04 amounts to £2,978 per pupil compared to top-of-the-table East Sussex which will get £3,313 per pupil.

St John's parent-governor Sarah Beadsworth said: "The response from our parents proves the strength of feeling. We have suffered from years of under-funding which means the gap is growing between the education which Worcestershire can afford and that which other counties can offer."

Mrs Beadsworth is spearheading the protest in Wyre Forest in support of Evesham mother Helen Donovan who launched the campaign throughout the county.

Other Wyre Forest schools have been called on to ask parents to sign copies of the protest letter which will be presented to schools minister David Miliband.

Wolverley headteacher Kevin O'Regan said: "To have around 100 letters signed and sent back is pretty good. We don't normally get that level of response unless people are very cross about something."

Mrs Beadsworth is hoping other Wyre Forest schools will give parents the chance to sign copies of the letter and that the general public will also put their names to the protest.

She said: "I think people will be shocked to know that counties traditionally known for their affluence such as Sussex, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey are at the very top of the funding per pupil table. This is despite being ranked "better off" than us on the deprivation table.

"The way the Government allocates its education budget across the counties is totally unfair and it's time our children stopped missing out."

Copies of the letters are available from the Shuttle/Times & News office in Blackwell Street, Kidderminster.