Plan to help school in dire straits

Knopfler, frontman of Dire Straits, and former Pop Idol singer Campbell are committed to saving Bearsden primary school in East Dunbartonshire, where they were both once pupils.

East Dunbartonshire Council have proposed to shut the school and merge it with Castlehill primary, located one and a half miles away.

Knopfler said: “I was dismayed to hear that Bearsden primary school is under threat of closure. I was very happy there.

“The school is ideally situated and I used to enjoy walking there and back every day.

“It sits in the heart of the catchment area and there is no doubt that it plays a vital part in community life.”

The Save Bearsden Primary action group said it was delighted that the two famous former pupils had given their backing.

Spokeswoman Wendy McLaren said: “This is not just about the proposed closure of a school. We believe shutting Bearsden primary school, which has been at the heart of our tight-knit community for more than 100 years, will have a negative impact on our whole  community.”