TALKS will be held this month in a bid to save a popular Farnworth children's nursery.

Parents of children at Jelly Tots private pre-school nursery at Highfield Hall Community Centre will meet bosses from the nursery's management committee on May 23.

The news follows an emergency meeting when concerned parents voiced their anger at plans to shut the nursery.

Doreen Fishwick, aged 59, set-up the childcare facility in 1992.

Her daughter, Trina Morris, aged 25, who manages the nursery, claims problems began after a changeover in the management committee of the centre last December.

She said: "My mum is devastated and we've got no idea why there is a problem.

"It's like a horror movie because childcare has been my mum's life work."

Concerned grandmother Sandra MacNeill, whose three-year-old grandson Jack Fletcher has attended the nursery three days-a-week since last December, fears the closure will disrupt the lives of all the youngsters as it is the only childcare facility with reasonable prices in the Highfield and New Bury area.

She said: "Jack loves the nursery.

"He has moved house three times and this would just be another disruption for him.

Concerned parents packed a meeting set up to discuss the future of the nursery.

Mrs MacNeill said: "All the parents are fuming because Doreen is thought of very highly.

"The meeting was a great turnout but very chaotic. Parents packed out the room.

"The decision was not overturned and I am not very hopeful but we are doing our best.

"They have agreed to liaise with the management committee and a committee of the parents, possibly on May 23."

Mrs MacNeill and owner Doreen Fishwick are so worried about the future of the nursery that they, along with many parents, attended the community centre's annual general meeting last week. Two of them have now been voted on to the management committee.

Cllr Margaret Clare said: "There does appear to have been some dispute between the committee at the community centre and the person who is running the nursery.

"I am concerned about the child care facilities in Highfield because there aren't any.

"I want some childcare facilities to continue at the community centre and I do not want the parents to have a gap in their childcare."

Jean Davies, chairman of the management committee, said: "We don't want the nursery to close. But we are terminating the hire agreement."

"We are concerned about the parents and hoped the meeting would allay their fears and we'll be doing our level best to make sure a nursery continues."

She did not give details about why the hire agreement had been terminated.