MORE than 50 Hampshire schools could be axed because they have too many spare pupil places.

As many as nine Southampton schools and 44 in Hampshire have question marks hanging over them because fewer babies are being born meaning pupil numbers are in freefall.

Now the government is urging education bosses to close or merge schools with more than a quarter of spare places.

Across the county this could signal the death knell for 39 primary schools and five secondary schools already less than three-quarters full.

Education minister David Miliband, who asked councils to compile the figures, insists the government does not want to force education authorities to close schools and says they must confront the problem "effectively and sensitively".

SOUTHAMPTON'S SCHOOLS with more than a quarter of spare places (based on figures for January 2003)

Weston Park Boys' School - 645

Woodlands Community School - 629

Redbridge Community School - 750

St John's Infant School and Nursery - 105

Banister Infant School and Nursery - 112

Hightown Primary School - 203

Moorlands Infant School - 125

Shirley Warren Primary School and Nursery - 207

Freemantle Infant School - 163

Since these figures were compiled both Woodlands Community School and Redbridge Community Schools have undergone major rebuilding programmes and pupil numbers have increased.

For the full story of Hampshire schools under threat see pages two and three of tonight's Daily Echo