Parents are writing to the Government to oppose the proposed merger of Witham's secondary schools.

Donna Griffin set up the ‘Parents against the proposed Maltings Academy merger’ Facebook page, which has more than 325 members.

She said concerned parents of children at Maltings Academy are writing to new education secretary, Nicky Morgan, shadow education secretary Tristam Hunt and Witham MP Priti Patel.

Another parent, Carrie-Ann Evans, has set up a petition against the school plans.

On the Change.org website, she wrote: “Hopefully if we get enough signatures, we can stop the merger of these two schools, as whoever decided it, has not thought about the children or how parents will get their children to two different schools at the same time.

“Schools are chosen for various different reasons, it’s wrong to take this choice away.”

* Full story in this week's Witham Times.