High-demand for places at a school which cares for bullied youngsters has seen a former pub earmarked as a potential new home.

Charity-run school Red Balloon, which is currently based in Earlham Road in Norwich, has set its sights on the former Galley Hill pub on the outskirts of the city.

The school, which offers specialist education to children who are too anxious for mainstream schools, has been based in its current home since 2009, having previously been at St Barnabas Church Hall.

But the charity has now lodged an application with Norwich City Council to move into the vacant building in Mile Cross, which has not operated as a pub since 2005.

Since then efforts were made to license it as a pub again in 2006, but it never reopened and, for a spell, was run as a hair salon.

However, the property has been vacant for some time and according to papers submitted with the charity's claiming it has not been maintained for three years.

The school, which is rated as outstanding by Ofsted, can currently only cater to 20 pupils at a time. But since launching it has helped more than 200 children cope with anxiety and trauma to learn and, in many cases, return to full-time, mainstream education.

But it says that demand for its services has grown to the point it is in need of a new home.

Papers submitted with the application say: "The current centre is now too small, the demand for places at a physical exceeds the current capacity.

"Accordingly, the trustees have been searching for a suitable property for the past six months. The teachers and parents of the students have all contributed to the search for suitable premises.

"289, Drayton Road is the only potentially suitable and affordable property that has come on the market and ideally fits our requirements."

Should the plans go ahead it would allow the charity to double the number of pupils it supports at one time to 40 - 30 who will be taught on site and an additional 10 through online learning.

A Red Balloon trustee said it was too soon to comment further on the application.

Norwich City Council will consider the bid in due course.