A critical shortage of primary school places has seen a scramble to find seats for Richmond children in classrooms this September.

Many parents now face a wait of up to four months to find out where their child will attend as the demand for reception places has unexpectedly soared by 12 per cent.

The Liberal Democrat administration of 2001 was criticised for their use of bulge classes and Conservative leaders fear they may implement them again.

The total number of school age children for the coming year is worked out using "unpredictable" birth data according to Councillor Malcolm Eady, cabinet member for education.

He explained: "We need to find 230 places which is way over what we would have expected.

"Birth data can vary by over 30 children a year, and if you add to that people moving to the area it becomes even more unpredictable.

"We are a victim of our own success - families come to the borough because of our primary schools."

Places are expected to be freed up after independent schools announce their allocations and parents hand back state places. But this will not be enough according to Coun Eady who said that extra capacity would still need to be found.

Richmond Council is now talking to several of the borough's 42 primary schools to find ways to introduce new classes as laws restrict reception numbers to 30 pupils.

Coun Eady said: "We will know in the next few weeks which schools will be able to take them. Parents will find out over the next three to four months - I am guaranteeing that they will all get places in one of our schools."

But opposition councillor, Geoffrey Samuel, has attacked the shortage calling the situation "bad planning".

According to Coun Samuel, birth figures released by the primary care trust show that 2,548 children were born in 2003 - the current cohort of children looking to go to primary school this September. The figure is up by 135 births on the previous year.

"They have known about this for ages. They could have predicted that they needed at least 100 more places," he said An Ofsted report conducted in 2001 during the Liberal Democrat's last administration criticised the LEA's ability to forecast demand for primary places.

It went on to say: "The LEA's response to such fluctuations has included opening a series of bulge classes' in primary schools. These are disruptive of class organisation and budget management as the year group concerned moves through the school."

Coun Samuel added: "They will plonk these children in a hut. This is an anxious time for parents and a crisis for the council - they must carry the can for it."

Coun Eady defended the council's progress since the report saying that more school places have been created in the borough through expansion and the building of new schools.