The decision to scrap Oxford's middle schools prompted a war of words between education bosses and angry parents, writes Andrew Ffrench.

The county Schools Organisation Committee decided unanimously yesterday to abolish three-tier education in the city and replace it with a two-tier system, in line with the rest of the county.

Parents, furious at the decision, vowed to continue their fight by taking the case to the High Court. After the vote was taken, following two days of debate at Oxford Town Hall, there were heated exchanges between Oxfordshire's chief education officer Graham Badman and the Save Our Schools campaigners, who had fought to keep the three tiers.

As Mr Badman left the meeting, he was surrounded by Teresa Munby and fellow parents Annie Skinner and Hester Lott, who were at the forefront of the campaign to keep middle schools. An angry debate followed for the next 30 minutes, with the chief education officer failing in his attempts to placate the parents' protests.

Finally, Mr Badman appeared to offer an olive branch by suggesting that the campaigners' expertise could be harnessed in the reorganisation process.

But the Save Our Schools group would not be swayed and vowed to try to launch a legal battle. Ms Munby, legal spokesman for the Save Our Schools group, said of the committee's decision: "This is devastating but this is not the end of the road."