Education bosses received more than 1,300 protest letters as parents fighting a shake-up of Oxford schools pleaded again: "Don't do it", writes Mark Templeton.

The deadline for objections on Oxfordshire County Council's plans to scrap the city's middle schools ends today (May 10). But campaigners handed over protest letters, petitions and a 20,000-word report on the change.

They lobbied councillors outside county hall on Tuesday before a meeting of the full council.

Annie Skinner, who formed the Save our Schools campaign, said: "Quite simply, our education chiefs have not done their homework. They have still to provide evidence that a change to two-tier will be of educational benefit to our children."