Parents are being warned to expect fewer teachers, larger classes and decaying facilities as schools try to plug a £6 million budget shortfall.

Letters explaining Brighton and Hove's education funding crisis were being sent out to many parents last night.

We reported yesterday how the city's schools were at least £6.3 million under budget for the year ahead.

The figure, which was revealed in a report by the city's education director David Hawker, were more than double the £3 million deficit originally feared after the Government's tough cash settlement for the city earlier this year.

Schools are responding by reducing staff numbers and the hours worked, dipping into capital reserves for short-term spending, and putting maintenance and improvement projects on hold.

Teachers who leave may not be replaced and some are facing the threat of redundancies as school heads plan to plug the funding gap.

Parents of children at Blatchington Mill School in Hove were last night due to receive letters from headteacher Neil Hunter, explaining the cash problems.

Mr Hunter said: "The implications of the budget are likely to involve larger class sizes, reductions in staff training and an inability to improve the state of existing buildings."

Tim Barclay, headteacher of Hove Park School in Nevill Road, Hove, said: "Staff costs take up about 83 per cent of a school's budget, so in making savings, we have to consider adjustments to staffing."

Dick Boland, National Union of Teachers representative for Sussex, said: "Schools in Brighton and Hove, like most of the South-East, are facing very severe budget pressures.

"The money given by the Government has been simply insufficient and they must come up with additional money to get schools out of the mess the Government itself has created."

Education leaders are demanding the Government pumps in extra emergency funds immediately, but fear the damage has already been done.

They have also warned that the cash crisis could become even worse in later years, since the most recent settlement is based on a three-year deal suggesting similar sums in the future.

Brighton and Hove has been allocated £183.3 million for schools, a 3.5 per cent increase on the previous year, compared to a national average of six per cent.

However, Mr Hawker said a major concern for the council was that more money was still needed and a similar settlement next year would "force schools into a downward spiral".

Thursday June 26, 2003