Professor Iain Baikie said he was told it could be several years before it materialised, which was "totally unacceptable".

He told the Caithness Courier yesterday: "The situation regarding the dilapidated state of the school is completely and utterly untenable."

Prof Baikie added that if the bid for a replacement school became a protracted issue the parent council would consider legal action against the education authority.

He gave the warning after a meeting on Monday with Highland Council officials and Caithness councillors at the Wick business forum, which is held in private. It preceded the open ward forum which was taking place last night as the Courier went to press.

A presentation on the state of the school was given by parent council member Sabine Richards to the business forum.

Then Prof Baikie made a statement, declaring at the outset: "I find it sad that it has come down to the current state of affairs in which the parents and pupils have been forced into taking a stand on this issue and start a campaign to shame the authority into taking action and provide a new school."

Prof Baikie, who stressed in the ensuing discussion that refurbishing the present buildings would not be cost-effective, said yesterday that the officials – headed by the director of education, culture and sport, Hugh Fraser – had stated they would look into the possibility of a new school which could be built on the site of the present campus.

Prof Baikie, who was accompanied by parent council colleagues Julie Mackinnon and Simon Harrison, said: "The timescale given was five to seven years and, allowing that the decision to build was taken then, it would be nearer to 10 years before the school would be completed. That's another decade – we just can't wait that long. It's a very disappointing outcome."

Prof Baikie also reiterated health-and-safety concerns at Wick High and claimed that some defects – highlighted in the last school inspection 10 years ago – had still not been carried out. He requested a report from the officials.

Prof Baikie said afterwards that the campaign being run by the school action group would continue and they would be renewing their efforts to persuade Alex Salmond to come north and see the state of Wick High.

The request was made to the First Minister by Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MSP Jamie Stone at the start of the campaign, early in March.

n.donaldson@nosn.co.uk

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