IT IS now or never - that is the message being given to parents by an action group campaigning for a new free school in Portishead.

At a meeting on Saturday the steering group of the Village Quarter Parents Group said any parents who want to see a new school in Portishead by September 2014 have only days to act.

The group wants to see the creation of a free school near to the Village Quarter where the demand for school places is greatest, with the support of their chosen sponsor Marcus Orlovsky.

The funding application will need to be submitted in the next two weeks and Laura Haseldine, one of those driving the campaign, says parents need to show their commitment by signing up now if they want the free school to become a reality.

Meanwhile some Portishead residents at the meeting had concerns that because of time constraints not all questions were being investigated or answered.

Others suggested the expansion of existing schools would provide a better solution to the shortage of available school places.

Anyone wanting to find out more about the current proposals can visit the Village Quarter Parents Group page on Facebook or pledge their support for the Free School bid by emailing kerrylrussell@gmail.com