A PETITION has been launched to get a fence installed at a Blackburn school to help curb on-going anti-social behaviour.

More than 150 parents at St Silas CE Primary School are backing the campaign to call on Blackburn with Darwen Council to approve the bid.

The school has submitted a planning application to the council for consideration after a previous proposal was rejected by the planning department. The fence, if approved, would be installed at the corner of New Bank Road and Clematis Street.

Foundation stage teacher and parent involvement co-ordinator Leanne Melia said: “It would make a massive difference to the school if we were allowed to have this fence. The anti-social behaviour is on-going but is worse during the summer and Easter holidays when people are not around the school for many weeks at a time.”

Headteacher Hilary Hinchliff said that the old school, which was knocked down to make way for the new building which opened in 2012, had a fence in the exact location. She said that a previous application had been knocked back by the council because it was deemed to be ‘out of character’ with the location.

Mrs Hinchliff said: “We are pushing really hard for a positive outcome for this application as it would make such a huge impact on the school.”

Parents signed up to the campaign at a community event that was staged at the St Silas Road school on Wednesday. Mrs Melia said: “The anti-social behaviour is mainly litter at the moment and we think that if there is a fence there then it will stop affecting the school.”