ANGRY parents expressed fears at a public meeting that their special needs children would be picked on and bullied if their special school closes.

The packed meeting at Rossmore Community College in Herbert Avenue, Poole was being held to discuss plans to close the Trinidad First School Site and move the school to new accommodation at Alderney Middle School.

Also on the agenda were plans to close Winchelsea Special School and provide a special learning centre for its primary-aged children at the Alderney School.

Other proposals included locating some special learning centres for Winchelsea secondary-aged children on secondary school sites, selling off the two redundant school sites for housing and retaining the playing fields at Winchelsea to become part of Alderney Middle.

The library at Herbert Avenue would become a new learning resource centre at Rossmore Community College under other proposals.

During the meeting attendees objected to being split up into groups to discuss the proposals before reconvening for a question and answer session.

Di Mitchell, adviser for special needs for Poole Borough Council, reassured parents that the proposals were in the best interests of children.

She said: "Each of the 40 staff at Winchelsea has an individual place in their hearts for youngsters.

"That is the sort of feeling we want to keep in terms of better facilities.

"It will be a collective decision taken by listening to you tonight. The intention is not to put Winchelsea children into mainstream school but to maintain them separately. They would have their own entrance hall and eating arrangements."

Parents were also told that one of the conditions for getting government grant money was to reduce surplus places which could be achieved by uniting Alderney Middle School with Trinidad First School.

Many at the meeting said that by moving more children to Alderney School traffic congestion would be made worse in Evering Avenue.

Many parents said they feared special needs children would be singled out and bullied if the proposals went ahead.

Teresa Harris, whose 11-year-old son Julian is autistic, said: "My son will not be going to this new unit. I fought for a year to get my son into Winchelsea.

"I am so angry that they splitting us up into groups and dictating to us like this."

Resident of Evering Avenue, Dennis Budden said: "Winchelsea School is a very successful school for children with educational problems. That could be spoilt.

"I have got friends whose children go to Winchelsea. If this is democracy then God help us."