PARENTS campaigning to stop a ‘good’ nursery being axed told of the vital service it provided to them and their children.

A public meeting was held on Thursday to protest against controversial proposals to shut Harvey Nursery in Great Lever, claiming they cannot afford to run it after it fell into the red by £68,000.

Campaigners say the deficit is ‘paltry’ and the nursery provides an essential service to the community.

Fourteen jobs will be lost and 60 children will have to be found alternative places if plans are approved. The council are blaming national cuts and changes to nursery funding. A consultation into the proposals is now underway.

Bolton South-East MP Yasmin Qureshi joined parents and staff at the public meeting.

Neil McAlister, chair of Bolton Trade Union Council, which is coordinating the campaign, said: “There is a lot of support for the campaign.Yasmin attended and spoke at the meeting and parents and staff also attended.

“The parents spoke about how important the nursery was to them and their children. It was quite a moving meeting. One said she could go to work knowing her child would be safe and another told how the staff had helped her as well as the children and said she would not have managed if it was not for the staff.”

Mr McAlister said that the sum of money of £68,000 was ‘paltry’ given the essential resource it provided in the community.

He said: “It was a very positive meeting.”

Mr McAlister says he believes campaigners can win the fight.