A GIRL at the centre of a row over choice of schools is having private lessons at home.

Lucy Cookson, 11, now has a personal tutor, paid for by her parents Janine and Lee, who are furious that she has not been given a place at sought-after Parrs Wood High School, Didsbury.

They have vowed to fight on to gain her admission to the school which is already full and has a waiting list.

They have written to Prime Minister Tony Blair and their local MP Keith Bradley and have appealed to school governors to give their daughter a place.

A tearful Lucy has been going to the school each day in her uniform, accompanied by her father, knowing that she would be turned away by apologetic staff.

Tears

Her parents insisted she should go, to demonstrate their anger, but have now abandoned the daily ritual because their daughter was so upset.

Lucy, the eldest of four children, had initially accepted a place at Levenshulme High School next to her former primary school.

But her parents say she was the victim of a series of bullying incidents involving pupils from the school. They appealed for a place at Parrs Wood, but were turned down.

Alternatives

Education chiefs offered Lucy alternative schools in Wythenshawe and Moss Side but her parents say they are too far from her Burnage home, while Parrs Wood is less than two miles away.

Head Iain Hall says he feels sorry for Lucy, but does not have the power to offer her a place at school, which is massively over-subscribed.

The couple say school staff have been very understanding, but are bitterly disappointed that their latest talks failed to budge education chiefs.

Mrs Cookson said: ''Lucy now has a tutor at home which we are paying for and is doing all right, but she needs to be in school with other children of her own age.''

A Manchester city council spokesman said it understands that parents get upset but there are other children on the waiting lists whose parents have not felt it necessary or appropriate to take such action.

Patricia.Roberts@gmnews.co.uk