THE campaign to keep a struggling primary school open is gathering momentum as residents prepare to demonstrate outside Bournemouth Town Hall today (Tuesday).

More than 200 residents have signed a petition in support of Townsend School and Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood is calling on councillors not to do anything until the results of the latest Ofsted inspection are known.

Luke Wilson, one of the leaders of the Save Townsend School campaign, fears that if the school is closed and the land sold, the closure of the community centre is also inevitable.

And he also believes there will a knock-on effect for the nearby shop.

"It's a matter of saving Townsend as a whole community," he said. "I find the stigma of Townsend is overstated.

"It's no worse than lots of other council housing estates and most of the crime in the last three months has been from people who live outside," he said.

Disabled Mr Wilson added: "I can go round in the dead of night knowing I won't be touched.

"I've never been subjected to any abuse, and if my wife has ever needed any assistance, there have always been members of the community to lend a hand at a moment's notice."

He added: "I think that spirit is in danger from the closing of Townsend School."

Mr Wilson, 35, said his eldest child, now 12, had gone to the school five years ago when there was a waiting list to get in.

"He wasn't very confident when he came here, but he absolutely excelled and is now in the top sets in his secondary school."

He also has a 10-year-old daughter in year five, and a six-year-old son who had made great progress since the current head took over.

"I really want my one-year-old daughter to come to this school," he said.

"The key stage two results showed that 92 per cent were at level four in writing, the highest in the borough.

"Realistically, more children need to come in, but that will only happen if the school shows an improvement in its Ofsted."

Mr Wilson pointed out that the school most of the pupils would attend if Townsend shut would be Queen's Park, which is on notice to improve.

Tobias Ellwood said: "This week's Ofsted report is critical.

"You can't get away from the challenges the school faces.

"If it doesn't meet set targets within six months or a year, we have to acknowledge that.

"From my perspective, the school is a focal point for the community and it would be sad to see it shut."