THE Out-of-Schools Service in Bridport has been given six weeks to leave its current home.

Landlords Haywards said the children - based at the Centre for Local Food on the St Michael's Trading Estate for the last three years - needed to be somewhere 'more appropriate'.

The service offers education to youngsters who don't or won't go to school for a variety of reasons including truancy, medical and behavioural.

Clive Hayward said: "It is true that we have had the occasional complaint.

"Essentially it has proved that this is not an appropriate environment for them in as much as they are one thing and everybody else here is trying to run a business. They need to be somewhere more appropriate.

"We said that we felt it (their tenancy) should come to an end. We sought a meeting with them and we discussed it and agreed between us it should come to an end."

The original notice to quit has been extended so the children can continue until their exams but it will not be the same number of students as before.

The exodus also leaves the Food and Land Trust with a problem as the out-of-schools service paid rent for the space they used.

Martin Settle, finance and admin officer for the Food and Land Trust, said: "They used a third of the building and that money went to finance the whole of the space here.

"It is not going to be enough to disrupt or threaten us, it won't close us down but it will hurt for a little while.

"It is a somewhat tragic situation for these particular students. Wherever they go they are going to get the 'not in my back yard'."

Tim Crabtree, former director of the Food and Land Trust and now director of Local Food Links based at the Centre for Local Food added: "What upsets me is what sort of message is it sending these children that they are not wanted.

"Although I can see from Haywards point of view that it has caused them difficulties but the children have benefited a lot from the facilities they have been able to access here."

David Pratten, Dorset County Council head of children's Out-of-Schools Service, said: "The service is not being withdrawn because of bad behaviour by children, but because the temporary lease arrangement on the building has come to an end.

"We are currently considering various accommodation options for the future."