HYNDBURN MP Greg Pope has intervened in the row of the allocation of primary school places in Lancashire, urging education ministers to "get a grip."

Mr Pope spoke out in the House of Commons after the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed the plight of four-year-old Jack Lord, who faces attending a school 30 minutes away from his house -- even though the school his parents chose is just three doors away from their home in Harlech Drive, Oswaldtwistle.

Jack's parents, Lisa Murray and John Lord, have already had an appeal hearing with Lancashire Education Authority rejected with education chiefs insisting Jack attend St Andrew's Primary School instead of All Saints Primary School.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Pope said: "Admissions policy is in an absolute mess throughout my constituency and I am sure that the same applies throughout Lancashire and in many other local education authority areas.

"In my constituency, children who live cheek by jowl with their local schools are being offered places at schools that are situated eight miles away, which is completely unacceptable."

"I am sure the new Education Bill will deal with admissions, on which I hope that the government will get a grip."

Miss Murray now faces giving up her job at a nursery next door to All Saints to make sure her son gets to school which was selected in accordance with a county policy which stipulates that pupils living on one side of All Saints, no matter how close, will have to go to other schools in the area.

That is because youngsters living on the other side of the school, and further away from it than Jack, take priority because they would have to travel further to get to alternative schools.

Mr Lord is now taking his fight to prime minister Tony Blair and has enlisted the help of Mr Pope.

He said: "I am pleased Mr Pope is drawing attention to this because he is our MP and that is what people voted for him to do.

"We need this help to get things changed. It is ridiculous my son has to go to school so far away that my partner will have to give up her job.

"If he went to All Saints we could watch him into school from the front door."

Local councillors have condemned the decision as bizarre, and called for funding to extend All Saints.