HUNDREDS of residents gathered in Priory Park for a vigil protesting the closure of a town college.

The event, organised by the campaign group trying to save the historic arts college, involved guest speakers and staff past and present. 

Chris Green, speaking on the bandstand, said: "we will not let the college be sold off for a housing estate."

Around 250 people were there for the majority of the event, with nearly 500 at its peak.

People of all ages held up banners with slogans in support of the college.

The event was held on one-year anniversary of WCG announcing the college would be closed and sold off.

It also coincided with the full meeting of the District Council on November 30, when a notion to discuss honouring the covenant to keep it open for academic use was discussed.

The event was organised by the Save our College campaign, which was set up to prevent it being sold off for non-educational use.

Speakers at the event called on WCG to accept the £1.2million bid from the Bransford Trust and keep the college open.

Gemma Wiseman, from the group, spoke at the council meeting immediately after the vigil, on November 30.

She said: "We ask you to set aside personal prejudices against art and recognise the potential for life-long learning offered by an art college.

"The college has huge potential and if you are feeling dismissive, consider the 1,350 survey responses we had and consider your own town centre survey, which has been running for much longer and has so far had 1,100 responses.

"Rather than being passive and letting the lawyers fight it out - we ask you to take a much more active and positive stance."

The rally also heard from Guy Woodall, who first started teaching sculpture at the college in the 1960s.

He told the crowds how professional artists and sculptors had studied there in the past, proving it was not just students learning at the college.