STAFF at a Gwent school threatened with the axe are under "intolerable pressure", according to one of its governors.

Ponthir VC school governor Howard Thompson hit out at the length of time the National Assembly education minister's office is taking to consider the school's closure.

Torfaen councillors voted to close the school last year and a final decision from Jane Davidson was initially expected by the end of December.

But the process has suffered delays, and more than two months later Mr Thompson is calling on the minister to put staff, parents and pupils out of their misery.

If Ms Davidson agrees the closure Ponthir will close in less than five months' time - this July.

Mr Thompson said: "I have been in the school this week and the staff really are under intolerable pressure.

"They are being forced to decide whether to look for a job or stay loyal to the campaign - it's so unfair. They are trying to teach under these conditions, knowing that they may have to look for a job."

Torfaen council says the school must close as part of its bid to cut surplus places, which it claims will rise to one in four by 2008.

As previously reported, the school's governors hope to turn Ponthir into a faith school in a further bid to save it, making it voluntary aided and funded by the Church in Wales rather than the LEA.

Ms Davidson is also considering this request and is expected to make a decision on the same.

But in the meantime Mr Thompson said even if the education minister listens to the will of campaigners and throws out council plans to close Ponthir there will now be serious problems next year.

"The longer this goes on the more badly it affects our in-take for next year, because parents just don't know whether we will be open in September," he said, adding: "We have waited longer than can reasonably be expected to learn the fate of our school."

An Assembly spokeswoman said the case was still being considered and could not confirm when a decision will be made.

Monmouth MP David Davies said he hoped the minister would allow the school to remain open, and said: "I hope that this delay is through the strength of the case made by the Ponthir action group."