A MERSEYSIDE school has used solicitors to threaten staff with the sack unless they attend meetings to discuss its controversial plans to become an Academy.

And Dingle secondary Shorefields has also told teaching unions they face a court injunction barring future strike action unless they toe the line.

The legal threat was issued after staff failed to attend one-to-one consultation meetings on June 7.

The meeting was organised amid plans to cut free from town hall control and become a centrally funded Academy, which would see the school team up with proposed partners the University of Chester.

A letter to unions from solicitors acting on behalf of the school, states that, after investigations, staff had said they had been “instructed by their union not to attend” the meetings.

This, the letter states, amounted to unauthorised industrial action.

And it warns staff failing to show up to future consultation meetings “may be dismissed and may not have the right to claim unfair dismissal”.

The unions were also told they could be hit with an injunction “to prevent you from calling for further industrial action” if they do not give notice of future action.

Last night, furious union officials vigorously denied any boycott and said instructing solicitors was damaging staff relations and a waste of taxpayers’ money.