BLACKBURN MP Jack Staw has thrown his weight behind a campaign to save Queen's Park Hospital nursery.

Staff threatened to walk out last week after health chiefs announced the on-site nursery faced closure to help stem £5.5million debts.

East Lancashire NHS Hospitals Trust, which runs the Blackburn-based hospital, said it could no longer afford the £86,000-a-year subsidy needed to keep the nursery going.

The trust is making cut-backs in a bid to claw back the £5.5million overspend it faces, but has admitted it will take up to three years to balance the books.

The Foreign Secretary today pledged his support to dozens of angry parents who threatened to walk out if the day nursery was closed.

After learning of the closure in the Evening Telegraph Mr Straw spoke to health chiefs, urging them to re-think their plans.

He has also pledged to write to health bosses urging them to re-think their decision.

Mr Straw said: "I spoke to the trust's acting chief executive Richard Gildert on Saturday and I'm writing to him asking him to think again about this.

"I understand the financial difficulties that the health trust faces, but I do not believe that it is justifiable even in these circumstances for the day nursery to be closed.

"It would be very disruptive for parents and children, also this nursery is a way for the hospital to keep quality staff."

Senior radiographer Jon Hart, whose daughter attends the nursery, welcomed Mr Straw's support. He said a group of parents whose children attend the nursery were planning a meeting to discuss a battle plan.

Mr Hart said: "I welcome Jack Straw's support. We simply need these childcare services. I'm sick of this trust turning its back on working parents.

"The parents are planning to hold a meeting about this."

East Lancashire Hospitals Trust director of personnel Elaine Baker said although a meeting would be held on March 29 to make a final decision on its future there was a "strong likelihood" the board would decide to close the nursery.

The trust said Burnley General Hospital nursery was not under threat because its running costs were lower thanks to a central government grant received for newly-built nurseries.