A LAST ditch attempt to save West Craven's traditional holidays and overturn a decision to bring school term times into line with the rest of Lancashire has failed.

But campaigners have warned "the battle is not over yet."

This week Liberal Democrats stepped up their campaign to save Pendle and Burnley's traditional holidays following a decision in June to standardise school holidays and term dates across the 11 education districts of Lancashire.

For decades West Craveners have broken up earlier than the rest of the country and returned to school in August. They have also had a half term break in September - just as schools in the rest of the country are returning after the summer.

The term times have allowed parents to take advantage of "off peak" holiday rates. But all that ended when the county council decided to standardise its school holidays.

At a meeting of Lancashire County Council's education overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday, county councillor Sonia Robinson wanted to ask for the decision to be "called in" and reconsidered.

Before the meeting, Coun Robinson told the Herald: "We are determined to stop Lancashire's Labour rulers from riding roughshod over local people. When they consulted on this, a majority of headteachers and staff were opposed and a massive nine out of ten parents were against it.

"Liberal Democrat councillors have had masses of emails, letters and comments from people who are very angry.

"It's time Labour listened to local people and abandoned their plans, but as it stands at the moment, these will be the last September holidays in our local schools."

Coun Robinson urged as many people as possible to sign petitions, write letters and lobby the meeting on Tuesday.

Liberal Democrat leader on the county council, David Whipp, said it was vital for people to register the strength of opposition to the move.

He said: "Labour politicians think they can get away with scrapping our holidays, but they can't ignore the thousands of people who are adamantly opposed to it.

"There's little in favour of this change and a great deal against it. Overall, it will be damaging to the educational attainment of local children. Next year's proposed nine week summer break should be enough to put

them off."

But on Tuesday, Coun Robinson said she was prevented from putting her case forward.

Under the council's standing orders, if a decision has already been implemented then it can not be reconsidered or reviewed.

Coun Robinson explained: "Before the meeting I was given permission to speak. However, the first person to speak was from the democratic services department who gave a reason why the decision had been implemented. He felt it had been implemented because 41 teachers had been given contracts and therefore had contractual obligations.

"The committee was then not in agreement that I should speak and said my action was inappropriate considering I understood the decision had been implemented. However, I would have contested this had I been given the opportunity.

"I feel it was a totally undemocratic process. We should have been given the opportunity to put our case forward. I am quite alarmed at the Labour majority taking this decision. The battle does not end here."

Coun Robinson said her ultimate aim, should she have been allowed to speak, was to start the consultation process again.

Opponents of the changes fear they will send absence rates soaring by parents who decide to continue taking advantage of the cheaper holiday rates

County councillor Alan Whittaker, cabinet member for schools, announced the decision to bring all districts in line with Local Government Association recommendations following extensive public consultation. Schools will adopt a standard school year comprising of approximately two seven-week terms and four six-week terms.

To synchronise West Craven's schools with the rest of the county next year, the plan is for them are to break up at the beginning of July 2006 and return in September.