OUTRAGED parents last night vowed to take their fight to stop a school closure to the National Assembly.

Just eight out of 31 councillors backed their campaign to save Trevethin community school and send pupils to West Monmouth and Abersychan schools from July 2007.

Protesters left the council chamber angry at the decision to transfer pupils, and outside vowed to carry on fighting and take their case to the Assembly. Education minister Jane Davidson is their only hope of keeping the school.

Community Action Team chairman Arthur Attwood said: "We were expecting this. We are now going to take the fight to the Assembly."

Other campaigners were outraged by the decision, burning copies of the agenda and promising tough action.

CAT member Cynthia Howells said: "I think it's disgusting. The councillors are like sheep, following what the cabinet says. If they think this is it they've got another thing coming."

Protesters, around 200 of whom marched on Civic Centre yesterday, knew they had little chance of winning. The school's future has hung in the balance for more than a year. Education chiefs say it is simply no longer viable, with pupil numbers having dropped dramatically to less than 400.

At last night's council meeting, nine members of the public used their speaking rights to ask questions of the director of education Mike de Val.

In response he repeated what he had said many times before, that the school is unable to offer a broad curriculum to pupils.

He said: "Trevethin has the narrowest offering of subjects of any school in South- east Wales."

Penygarn and St Cadoc's councillor Mike Davies challenged the plans, saying the public consultation process was flawed.

He was backed by Trevethin councillor John Marshall, who said: "This is all about the quality of life for the area and the future of our children.

"The only way we are going to improve our area is upgrading it in every way we can. We don't want to move from the school, we want to keep it."

Protesters handed a survey to the council in which 1,435 people agreed with saving Trevethin school.

But councillors voted against Councillor Davies' motion and agreed with the cabinet recommendation.

Despite the massive public opposition and the objections of Torfaen council's deputy leader Lewis Jones, it now seems certain that Trevethin will close.