MORE than 100 people attended a protest rally against the proposed closure of Bromyard's Queen Elizabeth Humanities College.

Parents, local councillors and former pupils armed with signs and banners formed a picket line at the school gates in opposition to Herefordshire Council's plans to close the school as part of a major education review.

Passing motorists pledged their own support for the campaign by beeping their horns.

The Bromyard community will be out in force again tomorrow (Saturday) for a protest march starting in the town square at 11am and ending up at St Peter's Church. This will still go ahead despite the recall of proposals.

Meanwhile Bromyard Town Council has responded to the proposals by issuing a motion of no confidence in Herefordshire Council leader Roger Phillips and cabinet member for children's services Jenny Hyde, as well as director of children's services Sharon Menghini and head of commissioning and improvement George Salmon.

"We feel they should resign immediately over this," said Cllr Gill Churchill.

"How dare they try and close 50 per cent of the schools in Bromyard.

"Herefordshire Council has already done enough to kill off Bromyard and this would be the last nail in the coffin."

Rev Graham Sykes, the vicar of Bromyard, said the proposals were a disaster and showed a complete ignorance of the area's geography, sociology and topography. "I think from a point of view of personnel management this has been a completely inhumane way to treat our teaching staff," he said. "They have been completely undermined and devalued."