"HANDS off" was the message from parents to Worcestershire education bosses who arrived at a Worcester school to talk about plans to merge it with a neighbouring one.

The clear message was sent out by about 80 mums and dads who met county council representatives to discuss the future of Warndon Infants' school, in Edgeworth Close.

Despite a presentation by schools policy officer Alison Cartwright suggesting educational advantages to joining the infants and junior schools, parents were unimpressed.

One grandmother - whose daughter and granddaughter were pupils there - summed up the mood: "Why fix something that's not broken? People like the schools as they are."

Concerns were raised that uniting the two could follow the same path as the former Elbury Mount school, which failed for a number of years before having a Fresh Start and reopening last September as Fairfield Community Primary.

However, the county council cabinet member for children's services, Liz Eyre, and city councillor John Buckley told parents the situations were not the same.

Tuesday's meeting was part of consultation on a possible merger, which would see Warndon Infants and Junior schools close and reopen as one big primary on the same site.

Ms Cartwright told the meeting - held in the infant school's hall - that having one school under the same roof had advantages for staff and pupils. "The national curriculum is a natural progression of learning and we want to minimise the number of breaks for the children," she said.

"We also believe it's beneficial for staff to sit together in one staffroom with colleagues from different year groups."

She added that leadership would be easier under a single head and governing body and that managing one larger budget would also be an advantage.

Ms Cartwright also stressed that no decision had yet been taken.

However, parent governor Mark Brookes said: "I don't think they will listen. I would say 99 per cent of parents don't want this. But it does seem as though they have made up their minds. We just want to be left alone to have the very good education our kids get."

David Hands, chairman of governors at the school, said: "We are opposed to the amalgamation and one of the reasons is because parents are opposed.

"The LEA tell us there would be educational advantages but they are not clear about them. We feel there is no meat on the bones of their argument. Where's the evidence?"

Jill Georgiou, his counterpart at the junior school, was unavailable for comment.