A YORK mother battling against a debilitating disease is facing a further battle - to get her daughter into a school near her home.

Angela Green, 32, from North Moor Estate, Huntington, is six months pregnant and contracted carpal tunnel syndrome in June this year.

The disease leaves her with pain, loss of feeling and a burning sensation in her hands meaning she cannot drive for any length of time.

Previously she drove her two children, Amy, aged ten, and James, seven, to New Earswick Primary School.

When her condition deteriorated she was forced to stop driving and applied to have her children transferred to Huntington Primary School, which is within walking distance of her home.

Although James was accepted Amy was not, and after going to an appeal she was told there was no room at the school for her daughter.

She is now keeping Amy off school as she believes there is no other option.

City of York Council has offered to provide a taxi to take Amy to school but Angela believes this is not safe as there is no guarantee the taxi would pick her up and drop her off on time.

She said: "She is too precious to me to take that risk and it goes against everything I believe in as a parent. Her education is a priority, but so is her safety."

Angela has asked for school work for Amy, but has been told this is not possible as her daughter already had a place at a school. She has now got a private tutor to come to their home, but this is proving too costly.

A council spokesman said they sympathised with Angela's situation, but class numbers had to be limited so each child had sufficient attention and space to get the most from their education.

He said: "We always try to find children a place at a school in their catchment area and we try to keep siblings together.

"However, Year Six at Huntington School is already over-subscribed and we have had to turn down other requests for places this year.

"When Mrs Green's daughter could not be found a place, she made an appeal to the Independent Appeals Committee, which was rejected. That decision is legally binding on the school and the education authority as well as on the family themselves."

The spokesman said they had tried to help Angela by offering her a place at any other primary school in the city. Some 2,500 children were taken to school by bus and taxi each day and most parents seemed happy with the service provided.

Angela said: "I know the school is oversubscribed, but my argument is I have grounds for needing her to go to a school that I can get to - I am desperate."

Updated: 12:02 Wednesday, September 25, 2002