PLANS to ban people from using a field in Burnley have caused outrage.

Disgruntled residents were shocked at Burnley High School's plan to fence the area in Kiddrow Lane off.

Campaigners fought to keep the site as a green space for the community in 2014 after fears it could be sold off to developers by Lancashire County Council.

It was then leased to the high school, however a councillor said had an informal discussion was held to keep the land open.

But a spokesman for the Chapel Street Community Schools Trust, which runs the school, said this week no formal agreement was promised.

The trust said the fencing would ensure the security and safeguarding of the school.

Kiddrow Lane resident Dave Wynne, who has lived opposite the field for 15 years, said the site was very popular with dog walkers and children.

He said: "It's going to look like a prison with a big fence put up all the way around.

"There are often happy kids playing football on the field.

"But where are they going to go? Where will they play next?

"I grew up around here and always saw it as a field, I used to play there as a kid."

Andrew Carroll, 77, of Gawthorpe Edge, said the field should be kept open for everyone to use.

He said: "I have walked across this field many, many times, especially since my wife has gone.

"You normally cage wild animals, not people."

The school's multi-million pound new building was opened last month on the old Habergham High School site, between Byron Street and Kiddrow Lane.

The building, commissioned through the Education Funding Authority on behalf of the trust, includes five science labs, a fitness centre, a food technology classroom and a large library.

Cllr Neil Mottershead, who represents the area on Burnley Council, said: "A meeting took place between councillors and the school and they had agreed to keep the spaces open for the public to have had use of this field for years."

Emma Payne, 34, of Padiham Road, a former Ivy Bank School pupil, which was also previously on the land, said: "It's never been fenced off before so why does it have to be now?

"I used to do track and field on there as a kid at school and I would play on it after school."

A formal lease agreement has been made for Rosegrove Football Club's 19 teams to continue to use the site.

Cllr Mark Payne, who represents the area, said: "There's big talk in general about obesity in children and this would be another area to exercise cut off.

"As you look around Burnley the green spaces are diminishing fast."

A trust spokesman said: "The trust has responsibility for the safeguarding and security of the school and must put this first to ensure our children and staff are safe and cared for appropriately.

"The trust was not aware of any formal agreement that has promised open public access and under current safeguarding requirements.

"Neither the school, the Department for Education or the Education Funding Agency would be able to even consider such a potential risk to student well-being.

"We would very much like to work with local councillors and residents in a productive and thoughtful way, so that we can provide what we all want, a safe, secure environment for our children, as well as for the local community that we are very proud to serve."