SUPPORTERS of a Valleys school threatened with closure made an eleventh-hour bid to save it.

More than a dozen cars with parents and pupils of Argoed Primary joined a convoy through Blackwood High Street on Saturday.

They decorated their vehicles with "Save Argoed School" posters and banners and balloons to draw attention to their cause.

They spent an hour driving through the town centre and beeping their horns, reaching the council offices in Pontllanfraith and returning over the new Chartist Bridge.

Blackwood councillor Leon Gardiner, who lives in Argoed, joined the convoy and used a loudspeaker to tell shoppers what they were trying to achieve.

Argoed councillor Allen Williams and Islwyn Assembly Member Irene James were also there.

Frances Thompson, chairwoman of the school's governing body, said: "The shoppers were very supportive, they were all waving and drivers were beeping back to us.

"I feel we had a very good response from people."

When parents demonstrated outside the Asda supermarket in the town three weeks ago they collected 600 signatures on a petition.

Caerphilly council is planning to close the school in 2007 and transfer the pupils to Markham Primary.

A public consultation period finished in February. Now the council's cabinet is due to make a decision about the school on Thursday. Mrs Thompson and another parent, Ian Craig, have asked if they can speak at the crucial cabinet meeting.

Supporters say it will "rip the heart out of Argoed" if the closure goes ahead.

Last week council leader Harry Andrews and cabinet members David Poole and Gwyn Price visited the school.