A GWENT school was closed today because more than half the teachers were on strike over changes to their pay.

Staff at the 850-pupil Pontllanfraith Comprehensive School say they were forced to take action after talks between teaching union NASUWT and governors broke down.

NASUWT say they have been trying to restore the pay of a large number of the school's teachers after changes to the pay structure were made earlier this year.

They claim the school failed to follow nationally agreed guidelines during the pay review, and say some teachers are now being paid a lot less to do the same work.

Union leaders said more than 20 staff were affected with some receiving £500 a year less. Maths teacher Jeff Davies said: "I've been given no reason for my pay dropping £500. I'm doing exactly the same work as before."

Talks had started after the school was closed for a day in April because of strike action. But on September 25 a planned meeting between the governing body and NASUWT was cancelled, with NASUWT claiming this left them with no option but to strike.

Of the school's 60 teaching staff, 35 are members of NASUWT and will be taking part in the strike today.

If talks do not resume further action is planned, with the union planning two days of strikes on Wednesday and Thursday next week and three the following week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT, said: "This has been a long and difficult dispute. Teachers do not take strike action lightly. It is a last not first resort. Our members are extremely concerned about the impact of strike action on pupils, but they have been left with no choice."

The chairman of governors for the school, Melville Lewis, said he was not prepared to comment on the strike for fear of exacerbating what he called "a delicate situation".