TWO Accrington headteachers taught Education Secretary Charles Clarke a thing or two about the cash crisis in Hyndburn schools when they went to Westminster last week.

Alasdair Coates, of St Christopher's High School, and Frank Havard, of the Hollins Technology College, presented the minister with an empty suitcase to fill with the "missing'' cash cut from their budgets.

Despite not getting their money, Mr Coates hailed the meeting a triumph.

He said: "It went well. Mr Clarke listened very carefully and then said: 'I am going to change my behaviour as a result of what you have said'. A schoolmaster might hope his pupils would say that."

But he remained slightly sceptical, adding: "Words come easily, particularly from politicians.

"I will believe it when the money is here. He didn't fill the suitcase but he did say our message had hit home."

Mr Coates, who is also chairman of the Lancashire Secondary Heads Committee, did a recent survey of Lancashire's secondary schools and found all were between £100,000 and £500,000 short of being able to deliver last year's standard of service.

He also found there was a north-south divide, with Essex schools receiving £4,000 per pupil, while Hyndburn pupils get just £2,200.

The Hyndburn heads had their meeting with the minister in a bid to redress the balance.

And although the Education Secretary made it clear no money would be made available before the next spending review, Mr Havard felt he was genuinely focusing on their arguments.

He said: "He listened carefully and made a commitment that the Government would be addressing the issues in the forthcoming spending review. He said we had influenced his thinking on a number of issues."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope, who accompanied the headteachers, said: "The funding problems facing schools in my constituency are something I treat with the utmost importance."