EACH day, school staff man the footpath that crosses the grounds of Derby's only Catholic secondary school in Duffield Road.

They are there to make sure that anyone loitering near the school moves on. According to head teacher Chris Reynolds, these include men looking at schoolgirls, youths confronting pupils and yobs baiting the school supervisors.

In addition to fencing, CCTV cameras and paying for staff to carry out extra patrols, Mr Reynolds is at a loss to know what to do next apart from get the footpath closed.

"I have had first-hand experience of encountering someone on the footpath who was extremely abusive and I believe was drug dealing," he said.

"It was an extremely alarming encounter and I feared for my safety. But, because people are standing on a public footpath through the grounds, they feel they are untouchable."

The large number of incidents over the past five years connected with the path has alarmed Mr Reynolds.

These include an assault on two pupils on the path in January 2005 and a further assault in April 2005 when three youths entered the school site via the path and attacked a pupil waiting for a bus in the grounds.

In April 2007, another pupil was allegedly beaten by two youths on the footpath and, in February 2008, a pupil was assaulted by two adults.

Mr Reynolds says there have been several examples of threats of violence towards pupils and staff and abusive behaviour towards staff by people using the footpath, and going on to the school site.

A report going to the planning control committee on Thursday, recommending an order is not made to close the footpath, reveals the list of assaults and threats of violence.

It criticises a lack of firm evidence about the incidents, which number more than 40, although it does concede that at least 11 of them resulted in violence or threats of violence and that there is a perception of risks arising when people, unlawfully on the site, are challenged.

Mr Reynolds said: "When I first began to complain about public footpath No 1 Darley Abbey, I was warned I would be unlikely to get it closed.

"But how can I sit back and not try to do something about a situation that threatens my staff and pupils?

"How many children have to be hurt or frightened or worse? How many staff have to feel harassed or fearful for their safety before it is considered 'enough evidence'.

The footpath, which runs from the eastern part of Broadway to the southern part of The Crest in Allestree, is 626 metres long and for just over half of the distance it crosses the school grounds. Only pedestrians have the legal right to use the footpath and not cyclists.

It was first included on a map in June 1953 but it is believed to have existed longer than that and certainly before the school was built. An alternative route across the A38 is about half a mile away via Slack Lane.

The school's application is supported by teaching unions, Andrew Flack, director of the city council's children and young people's service as chairman of the Derby Safeguarding Children Board, and the police.

Dave Wilkinson, Derby branch secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers, said: "The first task of any school is to create a learning and social environment which is as safe as possible and this is made much more difficult if the public can access the site.

"I am disappointed that the local authority is opposing the school's application – I would have thought the safety of Derby's schoolchildren would be the council's first priority."

Detective Inspector Pat Parry, of Derbyshire police, said he had been "liaising with the school on a number of issues concerning the security of pupils, staff and grounds".

In a written submission to the city council, he said: "The footpath's course through the heart of the school makes it difficult for staff to exercise their duty of care.

"When the school is closed, it becomes a very isolated series of buildings in large grounds and an open route into the heart of the school substantially increases the risk of crime."

Mr Flack also raised concerns about the implication for the 1,550 pupils and at the school.

He wrote: "Parents expect their children to be entirely safe when they are in the care of the schools and the public footpath makes it very difficult for the school to guarantee public safety."

A survey carried out in September and October 2008 led to 184 letters, 201 e-mails and a petition with 191 names being sent to the council against the proposed closure of the footpath.

Objections have also come from Lawn Primary School, the Broadway Action Group, Darley Abbey Society and the Derby and South Derbyshire Ramblers group.

Alf Fullerton, of the Broadway Action Group, said that closing the footpath would cut off a vital link for elderly people who use it to go shopping at the Park Farm Centre in Allestree.

He said: "It is an essential lifeline for older residents in the area who want to access the area's only post office.

"The school site is fairly open anyway and closing the footpath would disadvantage local people and is unrealistic."

People responding to the survey also said they used it to visit the city centre, go to Darley Park, to get to work or the Lawn Primary School, and for leisure or recreational use.

Chris Vaughan, secretary of Derby and South Derbyshire Ramblers' Association said: "This is a good route from Derby to Allestree. Derby is short of footpaths and to close another would not be good."

Assessing the application in the report to the planning control committee, it is concluded that the "lack of recorded detail in most of the incidents make it difficult to assess whether the incidents would have take place irrespective of the existence of the footpath".

It continues: "Overall, the evidence of incidents is weak but there clearly is potential for the footpath being used that could put pupils or staff at risk.

"The principal concern must be where the proximity of the footpath significantly increases the degree of risk.

"There is not enough strong evidence to justify the path closure or a degree of threat to pupils."

The meeting starts at 6pm at the Council House, in Corporation Street, Derby.