A double decker bus full of parents, teachers and children from Wootton Bassett descended on County Hall in Trowbridge yesterdat in an attempt to stop the closure of a popular special needs centre.

The Special Educational Needs (SEN) centre at Longleaze School looks after children with complex learning needs from the Wootton Bassett, Purton and Cricklade area, and is fighting a Wiltshire Council review into provision of such facilities, which is considering closing the centre.

The group from Wootton Bassett were there to hand over a petition with over 3000 signatures, representing the feeling in the town against the closure of the centre.

It was given to Councillor Lionel Grundy, Cabinet Member for Children's Services at Wiltshire Council.

Clare Murray, who leads the centre at Longleaze, said: “I think it is fantastic that so many people in Wootton Bassett have signed the petition.

“It shows the strength of feeling in the local community.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to be here to hand over our petition.

“We hope it will bring the issue to the attention of the councillors that get to make that decision.”

Many parents and children who travelled to Trowbridge were keen to explain how important the centre is to them.

Michelle Wallace’s daughter Victoria, 10, attends the centre.

Mrs Wallace said: “She’s been there for four years and is full time at the centre.

“She has complex learning difficulties, speech and language issues and balance problems.

“We had to fight for her place there and now we have to fight to keep the centre open.

“It is the right place for her and if the centre wasn’t there she would have to go 40 minutes away or joining purely mainstream education.

“We don’t need this.

“At the end of the day we are all just tired parents with kids to look after.”

Lucy Allen, 10, has autism.

Her mum Jo explained how the centre supports her.

She said: “She’s been there since Year One.

“She has autism and learning difficulties.

“Longleaze is the perfect place for her.

“It gives them life skills and they get to do things like cookery, gardening and Lucy does riding for the disabled.

“We feel like we have had to fight for an education for her since she was born.”

Other parents argue that the children in mainstream education at the school also benefit from learning closely alongside children with different needs.

Karen Rogers’ daughter Emily goes to Longleaze Primary School.

Mrs Rogers said: “I think it gives her the opportunity for diversity and to mix with other children.

“It is about inclusivity for them.

“The closure of the unit is going against all ideas of integration.

“I think it is very sad it has come to this because it has been an established centre for over 20 years.”

The petition gathered 3485 signatures, and parents and teachers at Longleaze also organised 50 letters from children to be given to Councillor Grundy.

Councillor Grundy said: “What we are required to do is to do a review of the provision of SEN.

“What we’re trying to do is to improve the provision across the whole of the council area and to make it a more even distribution of services.

“We haven’t made a decision yet.

“We have to look the arguments put forward and how we can address them.

“The earliest we will make the decision is July and the latest September.”