Campaigning parents in Mid Sussex are celebrating victory after plans to merge two schools were thrown out.

An independent committee ditched proposals to merge Three Bridges First School with Three Bridges Middle School, creating a 570-pupil primary school.

West Sussex County Council wanted to close the first school and create an all-through primary school instead.

The ruling was greeted with joy from parents, who had been protesting for almost a year about the dangers of closing the first school, in Gales Place, and moving pupils to the middle school, in Gales Drive.

Maria Leonard, one of the parents and a school governor at the first school, spearheaded the campaign. She said: "We are absolutely delighted with the result.

"We feel vindicated about taking on the might of the council, which was quite a daunting prospect.

"We never expected such a result like this. The fact they threw the case out immediately shows the strength of our campaign.

"We always knew we had a very strong case. The middle school is on a main road and would not be safe for the kids.

"The first school is safe and small and the ethos of the school is excellent.

"We would have lost a lot of playing field area as well."

Along with parents Adrian Barrott and Esther Arnold, Mrs Leonard set up the Three Bridges Action Group when the council's proposals went to the consultation stage last year.

The group received the backing of staff, pupils, residents and parents.

As the council proposals were contested, the matter went to an independent school organisations committee, which ruled in favour of the parents.

In the early stages of the campaign, a group of 35 mothers chained themselves to railings in protest at the closure.

Mrs Leonard, who has three children at the school, said: "The action group has fought the council's plans all the way.

"We set the group up last year and I am just thrilled that the school is going to stay."

Staff at the first school, who would have had to reapply for their jobs if the proposals had gone ahead, were also delighted.

Headmistress Sue Smith said: "We are ecstatic at the decision. It is what everyone wanted all along.

"At the meeting, the committee was left in no doubt about the strength of feeling this issue has caused in the area.

"Even the pupils at the middle school recorded a tape expressing their views, which was played at the hearing.

"We can go along as normal now and not worry about having to reapply for our jobs any more.

"I don't know what the council is going to do now. I think it might go back to the drawing board and we will just have to wait for the next proposals."

Mike Lee, assistant director of education at West Sussex, said: "We were delighted that proposals for 35 schools in Crawley, including a new school in Maidenbower, went through at the meeting.

"In the case of the Three Bridges schools, we will talk to the headteacher and the governors to find out the best way forward in light of the committee's decision."