Education chiefs have advertised for a new headteacher at a school that doesn't exist.

Oxfordshire County Council bosses said they were looking for a headteacher to take over a school that will be created under Oxford's controversial move to a two-tier school system.

But no final decision has been reached on the scrapping of the city's middle schools and campaigners fighting the scheme said it showed the county's education leaders were acting like they already knew the outcome.

The "phantom job" was for a headteacher, following the proposed merger of Lawn Upton Middle School and Speedwell First School. Annie Skinner, co-ordinator of the Save Our Schools Campaign, said: "This confirms that we have no confidence in the local education authority's ability to manage this reorganisation.

"Advertising for phantom jobs wastes time and wastes money when they haven't even got the go-ahead for the reorganisation.

"They are acting like the decision has been made, but it has not and the fight goes on."

Mrs Skinner said the planned merger of the two schools had caused a great deal of bitterness and unhappiness in the local community.