Crawley MP Laura Moffatt is supporting parents fighting to prevent major changes to the town's schools.

She has written to education officials at West Sussex County Council telling them the majority of their proposals have been rejected by the people of Crawley.

The county council plans to merge first and middle schools to create primary schools for children from four to 11 and to change the age at which children transfer to secondary schools from 12 to 11.

She said: "The people of Crawley are not happy with most of the proposals set out by the county council to accommodate lowering the age of transfer to secondary school and neither am I."

Schools earmarked for closure in the consultation document are Southgate First School, Southgate Middle School and West Green First School.

Education chiefs have recently indicated that the two Southgate schools may stay open.

Mrs Moffatt wrote: "There was no support whatsoever for closure of schools.

"Although, quite rightly, your perspective for closure is purely educational, as MP I must consider the social impact on our neighbourhood system that we cherish in Crawley."

A consultation period ends on March 22 after which the county council will make recommendations.

There will be a further period for objections and a final decision will be made in autumn.