Essex County Council has said that it is "reviewing the situation" with regard to the allocation of secondary school places to children living in the Dengie after some were offered places at schools as far away as Brightlingsea and Rochford.

Maldon MP John Whittingdale is meeting with the county tomorrow (Wednesday, 3 March) after describing the situation for some families as "totally unrealistic".

Mr Whittingdale said: "I have been contacted by a number of parents in the Dengie peninsula whose children have been allocated school places at schools outside the District and in a few cases as far as Brightlingsea.

"I fully understand their concern and regard it as completely unrealistic to expect children to travel so far, especially as some are reliant on public transport.

"I have raised this urgently with the County Council and have arranged a meeting with Cllr Ray Gooding, Cabinet Member for Education, and his officials tomorrow. "

A spokesperson for Essex County Council said: "We are aware that a number of parents in the Dengie area have not obtained a place at their preferred school(s) and it is always regrettable where this is the case. We understand the concerns of parents in the area.

"We are currently reviewing the situation and are in discussions about potential solutions to provide additional capacity. We will update parents accordingly once any next steps have been agreed."