A LONDON free school built on land bought using £18 million in taxpayers’ cash has opened — with just 17 pupils.

At least 120 students were supposed to start at the Trinity Academy secondary school in Brixton.

But Academies Week revealed yesterday that the school has already cost the public purse more than a million pounds per pupil.

Head teacher Ben Thompson even admitted they have not yet seen three children who were registered to attend.

A Department for Education spokesman insisted the pupil numbers are “perfectly normal for any type of new school.”

But education campaigners slammed the waste of money in an area which has a surplus of school places.

An Anti-Academies Alliance spokesman said: “Free market in education harms every child.

“Brixton free school opens with 17 pupils for 120 places, in an area with two new schools just built.”