Schools minister David Miliband has come under criticism over his response to a letter from the Leicester Mercury on funding for Leicestershire's schools.

The Mercury outlined the concerns of readers about the education service, calling for fairer funding for the county's schoolchildren.

The minister's response offered no assurances to the county on schools, which critics say are facing a dire situation due to severe lack of funding.

He insisted they had received a minimum cash increase of 3.2 per cent per pupil. But this comment has been the focus of most of the scrutiny.

Blaby conservative MP Andrew Robathan is strongly opposing the minister's claims saying that in fact the schools have suffered a one per cent loss rather than a 3.2 per cent rise.

Mr Robathan said: "This is a pretty arrogant response. It dismisses the specific problems that Leicestershire faces.

"The department for education have got their maths wrong. When you add the numbers up correctly, Leicestershire has actually received a 2.5 per cent increase in its education funding.

"This amounts to a one per cent reduction, once you have taken into account increased costs. Either every head teacher and governor in Leicestershire is wrong or Mr Miliband is wrong."

Nick Carter, editor of the Mercury said: "What this means in practice is that many Leicestershire schools are having to go into the red rather than lose staff, and head teachers have to scrimp and save on books and materials to make ends meet.

"If the funding formula does not manage to get this extra money into our schools it's wrong.

"The Government expects our children to get their sums right - perhaps it should start on its own arithmetic."

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