More than 200 under fives in Brighton and Hove have been given a place at a school their parents did not choose.

New statistics have been released by Brighton and Hove City Council showing the extent of the problems with its primary school admissions process.

The figures also reaffirm that the problems are centred in Hove.

According to the figures, 115 families living in the BN3 postcode area were not allocated any of their three chosen primary schools and a citywide total of 217 missed out.

Many were instead allocated places at schools which they have not chosen, some four miles from their homes.

In the past few weeks dozens of disappointed parents, particularly those in Central Hove, have spoken out about the failings of the system and lodged appeals.

They have lost out as the schools in their area have struggled to accommodate a burgeoning population of young families.

A group of parents have now formed a campaign group, called Action 4 Kids. They took a deputation to a meeting of the council's cabinet yesterday.

They demanded urgent moves towards building a new school in Hove and plans for how to help those who have missed out.

A spokesman for the group said: "We are unhappy and angry about this."

They are being backed by Councillor Melanie Davis, who represents the Goldsmid area of Hove, who called for the council to seize a share of £4.5billion Government school-building grants on offer.

She said: "The shortage of primary school places in Hove is now at crisis point. I have received complaints from parents in Hove that have to take their children to a school at the opposite end of the city.

"Proposed expansion of Davidgor Infant and Somerhill Junior will go some way to easing the shortage, but a more permanent and positive solution must be given to families."

The figures showed there were 2,513 applications for the 2,680 places available in the city. However in BN3 there were 739 applications for 630 spaces.

Citywide 2,071 children were offered their parent's first choice school, second preferences were issued to 152 and third selections to 73.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said: "We recognise that there has been an unprecedented rise in the numbers of children needing primary school places in central Hove which is why we’ve increased places where we can and why we continue to look at ways of creating more places in the area."

She added that in some cases the nearest schools for children were not in the same postcode area as their homes.

Action 4 Kids staged a protest outside Hove Town Hall, in Norton Road, before yesterday’s cabinet meeting.