CAMPAIGNERS have dropped their fight to get rid of school selection in Trafford.

Members of the Stop the Eleven Plus campaign failed to collect enough signatures to trigger the crucial ballot of parents, which could have turned the borough's grammar schools comprehensive.

Now they say they will not be relaunching their petition which must be completed during a single academic year this autumn. Trafford's chairman of education Coun Peter Mitchell said he was "disappointed" that the ballot will not be held and urged the government to review its ballot process.

He had kept his views to himself for the past year to comply with ballot regulations. He added: "The government has said that parents will decide whether to change the system, but has put in place a process which is complicated and expensive which is, in practice, denying parents that opportunity."

Members of the STEP campaign say they would have liked to continue with their efforts to change the borough to a comprehensive system. But they say the campaign has been too expensive and exhausting.

Spokesman Chris Roberts, who spearheaded the campaign, said: "We worked very hard last year and I think people need a break. We can't keep going in the same way. It's really a question of resources. The campaign is not cheap to run and it's a case of human resources."

Chris Marley, from the Save Our Schools campaign set up to counter efforts to ballot parents in Trafford, said: "We are pleased that schools and parents will not be faced with the distraction and worry of another campaign this year."