Schools campaigners armed with placards today attempted to get their “fair funding” message across to the Prime Minister as he arrived in Shropshire.

A small group chanted and waved their posters as Gordon Brown arrived at the Telford International Centre.

The campaigners ran up to railings in an attempt to speak to Mr Brown, but his vehicle swept into the centre’s car park.

Carla Lowndes, from Buildwas Primary School, said: “It would have been nice if Gordon Brown had stopped but hopefully he heard the chanting and the commotion.

“Hopefully with the support of Daniel Kawczynski we will continue to fight to get fair funding for Shropshire schools.”

Michael Griffiths, chairman of the governors at Buildwas School, said: “We are not here for the sports conference, we are here to say that what we want is equal funding for Shropshire schools. It’s a desperately underfunded county. We want to raise the profile and we need politicians to know we are desperately underfunded.

“We are very glad Gordon Brown has come here to Telford, it gives us a chance to make our point.”

Philippa Lakin, a parent of two children at Buildwas, said: “We are looking to get confirmation from the Government that they will look at the funding Shropshire gets.

“We want some sort of policy to state they will do their utmost to keep our rural schools open.”

Joining the campaigners was Allison Edwards, of Muxton, Telford, whose 10-year-old son has autism, and who met Mr Brown at an awards ceremony in 2006 when she grabbed his hand and refused to let go until he agreed to listen to the plight of her child.