EDUCATION Secretary Alan Johnson has promised to help The Ridgeway School step up security in the wake of the violent hammer attack on pupil Henry Webster.

Mr Johnson met South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove yesterday and assured her he would do all he could to make funding available for a new security fence at the Wroughton school.

Ridgeway headteacher Steve Colledge told worried parents on Tuesday that the school was drawing up plans for a new security fence and that CCTV and a shortened school day were also measures being investigated in the wake of the assault last Thursday.

He said the fence would have gates and would be patrolled by staff.

But Mrs Snelgrove has stepped in to make sure the perimeter fence is put up sooner rather than later.

She said: "The main issue for a school is to get the security sorted out as you cannot have a learning environment if parents are concerned about the safety of their children and children and staff are also concerned about their safety.

"I was very pleased Alan said without any prompting that this was going to be high on his agenda. He has taken a personal interest in the school.

"I think the school and the parents should be reassured about that. However, it is going to take us some time to get funding sorted out because it will have to go through the planning process so we need to make sure that is done quickly, but also that we get it right.

"I have spoken to the headteacher and I am waiting for him to get back to me with the quotations from the fencing company."

Mrs Snelgrove is hopeful that the money for the fence will come from central government owing to the exceptional security fears.

"Alan has asked me to speak to the local authority about the funding they may be able to put towards it, but I said to him that is great but this is an issue that is over and above what you would expect in any school," she said.

"I am looking to him to respond and he has told me to meet again with him next week.

"In addition, I have said to Alan that I will be speaking to the local police to make sure they maintain their presence outside the school."

She added: "I am very pleased with the way both the school and the police have worked together, but I want to make sure parents continue to send their children to the school.

"Two Year 9 students showed me round the school on Tuesday and they were absolutely fantastic, a credit to the school.

"They were determined to stay at the school and they said how much they enjoyed being there and that was a terrific endorsement of the school.

"It's time for all politicians, council officers, police and community groups to pull together for the sake of the children at the school."

As revealed by the Adver yesterday, police officers investigating the hammer attack on 15-year-old Henry have set up a major incident room to help deal with all their lines of inquiry.

Operation Dakota is operating out of Gablecross police station.

Superintendent Richard Roland said that the investigation had already identified a number of witnesses.