Parents fighting to save their children's school are calling for their local councillor to be booted out.

Members of the Local Education Action Group (LEAG), which is campaigning to keep East Brighton College of Media Arts (Comart) open, claim Gill Mitchell has failed them.

They called for her to resign from the city council and fight a by-election against a candidate fielded by them.

Indra Donafresco, of the LEAG, said: "Voters did not have this issue before them at the last local elections and if the school closes, it won't be before them at the next."

The struggling school in Whitehawk is threatened because of falling pupil numbers, poor exam results and high truancy.

Brighton and Hove City Council has looked at options, including a smaller school, a school with extended services and the provision of post-16 education on the site, but none was considered suitable.

A decision about its future is due to be made by city councillors next month but campaigners are demanding a chance to vote on school closure.

Ms Donafresco said: "Councillors should represent the interests of those who elected them. We believe Gill Mitchell has failed her electorate on the issue of whether Comart should remain.

"In recent independent research, 95 per cent of people living in the east Brighton area supported keeping the school going.

"We have drawn up plans to contest the next local elections and actively campaign to ensure those who have failed to stand up for the community they serve no longer get the honour of serving it."

Councillor Mitchell, who does not believe a viable alternative to closure has been put forward, denied suggestions she had betrayed her electorate.

She said: "I have been absolutely clear and straightforward with whoever has spoken to me about the issue.

"I have attended nearly every consultation meeting. I have met senior education politicians and officers dealing with this.

"Originally I had hoped a small community school could remain on the site. However, I have still not seen any evidence which can support a viable and successful small school.

"I would be letting people down if I presented a false picture and raised false expectations."

The proposed closure would be in summer 2005.