THE county council has today denied that it plans to close up to 34 primary schools in Cornwall after a report appearing to recommend this option was published accidentally on the web.

The report was published on the county council website yesterday prior to a meeting of the children, young people and family services policy development and scrutiny committee. It was later withdrawn.

A statement issued by the department for children, schools and families, said the report was purely a working document and was not intended for public consumption.

"Cornwall's children's services authority was required to prepare a submission setting out how it intends to use its £6.5 million allocation to rebuild, refurbish or remodel primary schools in the county over the next 15 years," said the statement.

"This required officers to consider a wide range of issues, including possible options such as reorganisation. These options, along with other data about schools, were compiled on a spreadsheet. This spreadsheet was a working document at a very early draft stage which was designed to inform the formulation of the final Strategy and was based on data reflecting details such as pupil numbers.

"The spreadsheet is not a blue print for the County Council's future planning. No decisions about primary school reorganisation have been taken or will be taken without proper consultation."

Schools listed for closure in the document include 14 on the Lizard. They are Boskenwyn Primary School, Breage CoE School, Coverack Primary School, Cury CoE Primary School, Garras Primary School, Germoe Primary School, Grade Ruan CoE School, Ladock Church of England School, Landewednack Primary School, Manaccan Primary School, Mullion Primary School, St Keverne Primary School, St Martin-in-Meneage, Sithney Primary School and Trannack Primary School.