A bid to save Wareham Middle School playing fields has been raised in the House of Commons.

Angry residents launched a bid to save the fields from developers after Dorset County Council bosses revealed their intentions to sell off the land in a bid to help plug their £67m budget black hole.

The middle school will shut in 2013, as part of the £35m district-wide switch from a three to a two-tier education system, but local residents had believed its playing fields would continue being used by the town’s junior football team and cricket side. Part of the land will be handed to Lady St Mary’s First School, but the remainder could be sold for development.

Now MP Annette Brooke, who represents the Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency, has sought assurances from Schools Minister Nick Gibb to scrutinise any proposal to sell off the land “very carefully”.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mrs Brooke said: “There is widespread community use of the fields, and there is particular opposition to the site being sold for an out of town supermarket and its possible replacement with inferior provision.”

In his response Mr Gibb revealed the county council had not yet filed an application to sell the playing fields and strict guidelines mean the secretary of state must approve any sale.