“WE need to stop this closure for the future of Mirfield.”

That was the message from angry parents opposing the controversial plans by Kirklees Council to shut down Castle Hall Secondary School.

Hundreds of parents, children and residents in Mirfield wrapped up warm on Saturday morning and staged a protest on the playing fields at the school in a bid to stop the closure from going ahead.

Campaign manager and organiser of the protest Karen Rowling took to the stage to warm up the crowd before introducing former pupil and Real Radio and weather presenter Debbie Lindley.

She said: “As far as I am concerned it is just not an option to shut down this school. There is just no logical explanation for it. I grew up in Mirfield and went to this school, and without it I wouldn’t be where I am today, so along with all these people I am going to do whatever I can to make sure it stays open.”

The school is one of several threatened with closure under £200m plans unveiled earlier this month by Kirklees Council.

Castle Hall School would go within five years under the Brighter Futures plan, with pupils transferring to Mirfield Free Grammar School, which would expand to more than 2,000 students.

Karen Rowling’s daughter Jemma started at the school last month.

She said: “The disruption this closure would cause on all these kids is unimaginable. If this goes ahead many of them will be in their GCSE year which is obviously a crucial time for them and it’s the last thing they need.

“My youngest daughter Megan is five and the thought of her having to go to a school of over 2,000 is absolutely unbearable.”

Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik was also at the protest and pledged to do everything in his power to keep the school open.

He said he could see no reasonable explanation as to warrant getting rid of a perfectly good establishment.

“We have got a great community school here and there seems to be no justification whatsoever for wanting to close it down. The local community support it, pupils and their parents support it, and the teachers enjoy being here.

“What the council need to realise is that they are not just planning to shut down a school but they would effectively be ripping the heart of the community and it simply isn’t right.”