IDENTICAL twins Catherine and Elizabeth Towells could face separation for one of the most important milestones of their young lives after education chiefs offered only one of them a place at their 'first choice' school. The three-year-olds from Chapel Cleeve currently attend Next Steps Nursery in Carhampton and pre- school at Dunster. So their parents Darren and Sarah put down Dunster First School as their preferred option for the girls, who are due to start school in September. But the couple have been told that only Catherine can have a place as Elizabeth is the 31st applicant for the 30 available places in the reception class. And this week Mrs Towells, who has already lodged an appeal and vowed to fight the ruling, described the decision as ludicrous. "I couldn't possibly split them up and there's no way I could get them to different schools," she told the Free Press. "Why have my girls been given the 30th and 31st places when they know they are twins? It's just ridiculous." Somerset County Council school admissions officer Rachael Sparrow has told the couple in a letter that there are places available for both girls at St Peter's First School in Williton - the Towells' second choice - or at Old Cleeve First School, their third choice and their designated 'catchment' area school. Ms Sparrow said 34 first preference requests had been received for Dunster but the council was legally bound to adhere to a maximum class size of 30 where there was an alternative school within the two-mile statutory walking distance at which alternative places could be offered. But Mrs Towells disputes that Old Cleeve falls into that category. "The council is trying to tell me that it is 1.7 miles to Old Cleeve from our home but has admitted that is as the crow flies and would involve walking across fields and public footpaths. "It's pretty obvious I'm not going to walk the girls that far in any case and by car the distance is actually 2.4 miles." In her grounds for appeal, Mrs Towells also cites the case of one of the twins' young friends who lives the same distance from Dunster - 4.2 miles - as they do but has been offered a place at the school despite being within the Old Cleeve catchment area. In addition, she said a number of children from the Minehead and Alcombe areas had also been accepted at Dunster despite living within walking distance of a first school in Minehead, while a child living at the bottom of her lane had got a place even though he was currently at Washford Pre- School, his catchment school. "My children have socialised in and out of nursery and pre-school with most of the other children who have been accepted at Dunster and they don't know anyone either at St Peter's or Old Cleeve. "We go to church in Withycombe, our whole life is bound up with things in that direction. "When I drove them to Williton and Washford to see the other schools we have been offered, they wouldn't even get out of the car. "They are really upset and distressed about the whole situation. It's simply outrageous to accept one twin and not the other. "If somebody had looked at this logically, then Elizabeth should have been put at number 29 so both the girls were accepted." Mrs Towells said that she had been told that if the family moved into the Dunster catchment area the twins would both be allocated places, which would obviously breach the 30-pupil limit in the reception class. In a statement, Ms Sparrow said the council had to comply with Government regulations which dictate that Key Stage One class sizes should not exceed 30 pupils. Only one of the twins could be offered a place at Dunster because the school was over-subscribed for the September reception intake. But Mrs Towells had been told of her right to appeal for the additional place and the process that would involve. Photo: Steve Guscott.