Lynne Nicholls (Letters, November 14) is concerned about the possibility of people abusing the system of responding to Brighton and Hove

City Council's consultation document on admissions to secondary schools.

I understand her concern but a far greater worry is the prospect that parents will not complete and return their responses to the proposals because they do not understand the full implications of the proposed changes.

Parents local to Dorothy Stringer and West Blatchington schools should realise they may not get into their school if the proposed changes go through.

As a parent in the Fiveways area, I can't help but think the proposals to measure catchment for Dorothy Stringer as the distance from home to The Level is a shoddy attempt to ease the problems of secondary education in East Brighton, following the closure of Comart, at the expense of families elsewhere in the city.

The proposals will also serve to sever links between our secondary schools and their local areas when most local and Government policy has been rightly encouraging schools to play a more active role in their neighbourhoods.

Parents should realise the real risk to their children of losing a place in their local secondary school unless they respond to the consultation paper in support of maintaining the status quo.

I urge all concerned parents to do so before the deadline of November 30.

-Lynne Passmore, Brighton