Impassioned pleas have been made to save Wrexham’s school music service from being axed.

A Wrexham Council scrutiny committee meeting has debated a proposal to slash £300,000 from the authority’s 2018-19 budget as part of a programme of cuts designed to save £13m in the next two years.

The meeting heard about 15,000 people had signed a petition urging them not to do away with the service which is used by 1,500 pupils across the county.

Fears were raised by Plaid Cymru’s Cllr  Carrie Harper that cutting the service funding entirely would hit those families already struggling financially the most.

She said families who could afford private tuition would seek it out while those who would not be able to afford to pay for lessons would likely never take up the chance to learn an instrument without the service.

Figures detailed by the authority’s head of education, Ian Roberts, showed 165 pupils eligible for free school meals are among the 1,500 county-wide who make use of the service.

Cllr Harper said: “This service has already had a cut and as a result of that, the numbers taking it up fell.

“Those who could afford it carry on and those that couldn’t, didn’t. There is a big equality issue here.”

Cllr Phil Wynn (Ind), lead member for education, stressed he was in “listening mode” and added no proposals were yet set in concrete.

Cllr Wynn added: “Every child in our authority has a right to an education. I’m fully aware the risk is free school meal children potentially are the most vulnerable to the loss of this service.”

Cllr Paul Jones (Lab) raised fears the service would be cut without an idea of any alternative model to replace it.

He said: “I think it’s an absolute nonsense we can’t explore other possibilities.

“Looking to cut £300,000 and not knowing where you’re going next is absolutely ridiculous.”

Mr Roberts said the council had been approached by other providers after the issue had been extensively highlighted in the press.

But he added they had been turned away as it would be inappropriate to discuss alternatives when the local authority employs staff to deliver the service in house.

“Until a political decision is made, we don’t know what the alternative possibilities are,” Mr Roberts said.

The committee passed a recommendation to tell the executive board it could not support a decision to axe the service.

Cllr Wynn said the committee’s representations would be considered, along with consultation responses submitted by members of the public.

The board is due to decide on a budget to put forward to full council when it meets on January 9.