Residents on a housing estate are up in arms after a school closed its gates on a popular short cut to the town centre.

More than 200 people have signed a petition protesting over the closure and urging St Joseph's School Roman Catholic Primary School, Carterton, to think again.

Bob Edwards, of Richens Drive, said residents had been walking though the school site since the estate was built in the 1970s.

The site is shared between St Joseph's and Edith Moorhouse Primary School.

He added: "People find it a safe and secure walk in and out of the town. Any other way is much longer and uses an alleyway which is dirty and unsafe. Old people in particular are badly effected by the closure.

"We believe the path has been used for so long that it is an established right of way."

Headteacher at St Joseph's School, Terry Cooper, said both schools regularly reviewed their security.

He said: "Ongoing risk assessment has led the school to decide that they would have no option but to close the gate to keep out unwanted trespassers. However, it was also recognised that to shut the site completely would inconvenience the local community and it was decided that the gates would remain open from 7.30am to 9.30am and from 2.30pm to 8pm, though closed at weekends."