PROTESTING parents picketed a village primary school on Monday in a concerted attempt to block the return of its headteacher.

It was the latest move by parents calling themselves the Lifton CP School Support Group. Their aim is to prevent 50-year-old head Terry West from returning to work today (Thursday) after being off on three months' sick leave.

Mr West claims he is the victim of a 'smear campaign'.

The protesting parents say they have lost confidence in Mr West who was appointed as head teacher in 1997. As well as picketing they have threatened to escalate the protest and keep their children away from school.

Chairperson of the group, Sarah Ramplin, said they felt 'let down' by the system that has allowed Mr West to return. 'We have gone through all the channels. We want to keep our school, but if he does come back a lot of children will be going,' she said.

Mrs Ramplin claimed there were difficulties at the school the head should have resolved.

'A stronger head would have. The children don't respect him. I think this is a poor show. We are fighting for our school.'

She said the majority of people that felt strongly about the situation were those with children at the top end of the school. 'Those whose children are at the lower end still feel it doesn't affect them at the moment.'

Some parents claimed some protestors shouted 'scabs' at children who went into school for lessons as normal on Monday.

But the allegation was denied by Mrs Ramplin who said she would not approve of such behaviour.

In a statement to the Times Mr West said he was 'disappointed' at the attempt by some parents in trying to prevent his return.

'Along with the staff of the school we have invested a lot of hard work on behalf of the pupils and the community since we joined the school.'

Mr West said that despite the loss of a very good teacher to a neighbouring school last term there remained an excellent staff.

'I urge all parents to unite behind them as the present campaign will only drive parents away and deter others from coming to the school.'

He said the poor publicity received from last May had shaken confidence in the school. 'Increasingly there has been a search for somebody to blame.

As a result he said he felt 'the victim of an unpleasant smear campaign'.

He said the criteria that all schools are judged by was being overlooked.

'I point again to our good 1998 Ofsted report and 1999 SATs results.'

Parent Mrs Judith Edgley, 50, from Lifton Down said she was 'appalled' at what she described as 'the shameful goings on of a small group of ill-informed people'.

Mrs Edgley, who has had a career in education as a lecturer and teacher, said: 'I have never had a cause to complain about Lifton School. I have found it caring, progressive, creative and with an accent on pastoral care.'

She felt if there was any problem it was more symptomatic of the crisis in the education system in general than the school in particular.

'I hope very much that the "mob mentality" attitude is a very small minority. I hope it doesn't succeed because if we allow this to go on I'm very worried how you get back the good relationships and caring attitudes and get the school performing and working as it should be.'

Sam Rush, another supportive parent, claimed Mr West was: 'intelligent and sensitive, and a good teacher'.

'I think the disruption this has caused to the children and their education far outweighs the issues these parents are trying to raise.

'They can still remove their children to another school and vote with their feet.'

A spokesman for Devon County Council said they were advising the school's governors on how to meet its educational responsibilies and its employment legislation obligations. The spokesman said both organisations were aware of parental concerns.

'The situation is being closely monitored and kept under review. When the governing body is in a position to provide parents with an update it will do so.'