A PARENT governor of Holton Road Primary fears the school"s pupils could be at risk unless security is not tightened up.

Roger Thomas Jones, who has a nine-year-old child at the school, is extremely concerned that the school building is being shared with an adult education centre - and that the school gates are open all day.

The Open Learning Centre has been housed at Holton Road Primary for more than 15 years.

It teaches 200 adults a variety of courses including maths and English basic skills, computer courses and English for speakers of other languages.

The centre is open from 10am to 3pm between Monday and Thursday, from 10am to 12pm on Fridays and between 6.45pm and 8.45pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.

There is a lockable gate between the entrance to the centre and the entrance to the school playground - but the council has confirmed that this is not kept locked.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council does have plans in place to move the centre to Provincial House in Kendrick Road, but so far no firm moving date has been set.

Mr Jones said: "Because the school gates are open all day anyone can come in. I, myself, have witnessed a member of staff confronting a very aggressive young man who was trying to take a short cut through the playground.

"There are some really strange people around and parents and staff are really worried. It only takes one nutter. If it weren"t for the adult education centre the gates would be locked."

He added: "The council are treating this very lightly indeed. All we want is a definitive moving date."

Vale councillor Barry Shaw, who is also a governor of the school, raised the matter at a meeting of the council two weeks ago.

He said: "We were promised that the Open Learning Centre would have been moved by the start of term. Now we are given a vague date of sometime in the New Year.

"We wish the Open Learning Centre well but it should not be based at a primary school."

A spokesperson for the council said: "Although the gate between the entrance to the Open Learning Centre and the entrance to the school playground is lockable, it is not actually kept locked, just shut.

"The school feels it is easier not to keep it locked to allow them to move pupils between buildings and to allow an escape in the event of a fire.

"However, there is an enhanced CCTV system trained on the gate; also no one can gain access to the school itself without a security pass, and children are supervised by teachers at playtime."