THE mother of a schoolgirl not allowed to go to the same comprehensive school as her brother has stepped up her campaign to get catchment area boundaries redrawn.

Michelle England has now obtained 800 signatures calling for her 11-year-old daughter Lauren to be included in next term's intake for Caerleon Comprehensive.

She has also gained the support of Rosemary Butler AM and written to local authority ombudsman Adam Peat.

Last month the Argus revealed that all of Lauren's classmates at Caerleon Endowed Junior School would move on to the town's comprehensive while she would be enrolled at Newport's St Julians.

The problem began in 1999 when the Eng-land family moved to Black-ash Path at Christchurch, Newport, unaw-are it lies outside the Caerleon catchment area.

Three years ago they won an appeal to allow their son Joshua, now 14, to go to Caerleon Comprehensive but this year Lauren's application was rejected.

Mrs England said despite her daughter being "devastated", authorities were unsympathetic to the point where she was even refused a copy of the catchment map by Newport city council.

"They told me it wasn't available to the public," said Mrs England, 42. "It was only after the recent elections, things changed and my councillor, Gail Giles, was able to get me a copy of the map."

The map revealed that her home lies less than 100 yards from the catchment border, so she believes an exception could be made. "I have learned that Caerleon Comprehensive is oversubscribed by 11 pupils this year but it is annoying to know that if we moved to Usk and were further away from it, they would have to accept Lauren tomorrow," she said.

"I just wish the school governors and council would call a meeting to discuss our case and accept my petition, but so far they have refused to do so."

A council spokeswoman said: "The authority regularly reviews its admission and catchment arrangements but there has been no move to vary this one.

"The LEA is responsible for ensuring there are sufficient school places for an area and accepts catchment boundaries accordingly."