PLANS to merge two Valleys secondary schools were scrapped yesterday following a massive protest from parents.

Members of Blaenau Gwent council's executive agreed not to proceed with the proposed amalgamation of Nantyglo Comprehensive and Brynmawr Foundation School.

Education chiefs at the council originally said the measure was necessary to tackle the problem of surplus places. They said the merger would benefit children by pooling resources and creating a larger school budget.

But parents of pupils at Brynmawr School objected strongly during the consultation period, with more than 600 people attending one meeting. Council leader John Hopkins said yesterday there had been 'overwhelming opposition' from parents.

"We sympathise with the parents for the anxiety that has been caused them. But it was a necessary exercise,' he said.

"We must now go to the Assembly and say that we tested their view but that this is not acceptable to the community.

"We support the community and it is up to the Assembly to fund our secondary schools and give the best opportunities to our students." He said he wanted to stress that it had not been a political issue.

"Decisions about education are made on common sense. Politics did not enter into education in this case, nor into education in this authority," he added.

Parents were delighted that the plans had been dropped. Mike Lewis, chairman of the Brynmawr School Action Group, said afterwards: "We are extremely pleased with the result. We thank everyone for their support.

"This we believe will not only benefit Brynmawr Foundation School but Blaenau Gwent as a whole.

"We now need to move forward to ensure the school goes from strength-to- strength."

He added the decision was 'a victory for common sense'. Gareth Morgan, chairman of finance on the school governing body, said there were no surplus places at Brynmawr School.

"Everyone is happy about this - the parents, pupils and staff and the people of Brynmawr,' he added.