A special school remains threatened with closure despite a plea for more time by wartime singer Dame Vera Lynn.

The Dame Vera Lynn School at Five Oaks, near Billingshurst, helps children with cerebral palsy and their parents.

It will be forced to close in April unless it can find £200,000, and the charity which runs it has no plans for a U-turn despite Dame Vera's plea.

The school was built in 1992 at a cost of £1 million, provided by the charity Stars Organisation for Scope, which Dame Vera helped to found.

But Scope can no longer afford the annual £250,000 running costs for the school, which caters for babies and pre-school children.

Dame Vera, who lives in Ditchling, said: "I would be devastated if it had to close. So many parents and children depend on this school.

"It's not a school where they learn arithmetic. It is teaching them in the first years to be able to live."

Dame Vera said she was working with governors and parents to help find cash to keep the school open for the next year.

She said: "We were not given much notice about the funding ending. We were told in November there would be no more Scope funding from April. If we can keep the school running another year it will give us time to look for permanent funding."

Christopher Jay, head teacher of neighbouring Ingfield Manor School, also run by Scope, said: "Parents say they will be in despair if it closes."

Christina McGill of Scope said the charity had suffered a significant drop in donations and had to cut back £3.5 million during 2001/2.

She said: "We have had to make some very difficult decisions. We feel the Dame Vera Lynn School for parents is viable as an independent operation.

"We are delighted at the positive response from the public and its willingness to help out. We hope the school survives and Scope is supporting the appeal."