A father has pledged to have his son taught at home after failing to get him in to any of his three chosen primary schools.

Tom Mannouch, of St James's Street, Kemp Town, Brighton, says he would rather take Nicholas, four, out of the education system than send him to another school.

Nicholas attends the nursery at Queen's Park Primary School in Brighton, where he has a place until January.

Earlier this year, Mr Mannouch received a letter from Brighton and Hove City Council asking the family to state their three preferred primary schools for Nicholas.

Queen's Park Primary School topped the list, followed by Middle Street School and Elm Grove School.

However, the council allocated Nicholas a place at Carden Hill Primary, whose catchment area the family lives in.

Mr Mannouch said: "The education authority has failed to take into account my son's individual circumstances.

"Nicholas is settled at Queen's Park and has lots of friends there. We do not want to move him. If we did, we would want it to be to one of the schools we originally selected."

Mr Mannouch's daughter, Natasha, 11, was a pupil at Carden Hill for two years but her parents moved her to Queen's Park in September last year because she was unhappy. She has just left to go to secondary school.

Mr Mannouch lodged an appeal against the council's decision and received letters of support from Kemp Town MP Des Turner and city councillor Jackie Lythell. In July, the family presented a folder of evidence to the council's appeal board.

Last week they were told their appeal had failed because Queen's Park was oversubscribed. Places at alternative schools were offered but none at the three they wanted.

Mr Mannouch said: "I accept we are slightly out of the catchment area for Queen's Park but it is still one of the closest schools. Some of the alternative places we have been offered are a bus ride away.

"Every parent wants the best for their child and surely that includes having some choice about their education. I think the system is unfair and there must be lots of parents like me in this position. I don't want to take my son out of school but I don't see I have any choice now."

A city council spokeswoman said there were more nursery places at Queen's Park Primary than in the reception class, which meant not all pupils could move up.

She said: "We have every sympathy with Mr Mannouch but his son was not the only one not to get a place. There is high demand for the 46 places. We had 60 applications of which 14 were turned down and some late applications which have also been turned down."