Philosopher AC Grayling has been forced to ditch his plans to open a free school in Camden after failing to find a site.

In January the professor, who is master of the independent undergraduate New College of Humanities (NCH) in Bloomsbury, announced proposals alongside education firm Bellevue Education Group to set up a state-funded, yet private secondary school in the borough.

But he now concedes hope for a new secondary free school focussing on the arts has been lost.

In a statement, Mr Grayling said: “It is disappointing that we were not successful on this occasion, though we knew that the challenge of finding a site in the area we proposed was always going to be difficult.

“The New School of the Humanities was envisaged as another way to share New College of Humanities expertise and passion for a well-rounded education in the humanities to the benefit of the whole community.

“We will continue to look for similar opportunities – joining our open lectures series and scholarship programme – to further build this commitment and broaden participation.”