CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a Gwent secondary school took their case to the National Assembly.

A group of 18 pupils and parents representing Trevethin Community School in Pontypool met education minister Jane Davidson yesterday to press their case.

The group also handed in the results of a survey which showed 1,400 people back their campaign.

The school has been earmarked for closure by Torfaen council because of its falling roll which education chiefs say makes it no longer viable. They want to pump money into Abersychan and West Monmouth schools, and transfer pupils there in 2007 and 2008.

But the decision has caused uproar. Last year, hundreds of pupils and parents marched on the civic centre in Pontypool and, in April, the Argus revealed campaigners were taking the matter to the High Court in a bid to win a judicial review.

Torfaen's AM Lynne Neagle helped organise yesterday's delegation to Cardiff Bay.

Ms Davidson will take the final decision on whether the school should close.

Trevethin Community Action Group chair Arthur Attwood said he believed campaigners had a strong case.

"We are confident we can stop the school from closing," he said, adding: "We wanted to make sure the minister had all the comments we had collected so she could see the strength of feeling.

"We are not happy about the way the council's own consultation into the closure of the school was conducted and we were not confident everyone's views would be fed to the Assembly.

"That was the reason for the delegation." But a Torfaen council spokesperson said: "All the views and comments received will be given to the minister. The notice was published on February 23 and the Assembly's advice is that a decision will be taken approximately six months from that date."

An Assembly spokesperson said it would be "inappropriate" for Ms Davidson to comment on the matter given her role in the process. He said: "An official representing the minister accepted the petition."