LEISURE bosses have been blasted for closing a sports centre creche after a grant was axed as part of a major cost-cutting drive.

The facilities at Hyndburn Sports Centre, in Church, were free to parents who joined an annual £27 leisure membership scheme.

But Conservative-run Hyndburn Council is making 15 per cent cuts across all services, in a bid to recoup a £1.8 million deficit. And it has cut a £12,000 grant to Leisure in Hyndburn, the organisation which runs the sports centre.

Tory councillor Brian Walmsley, who has cabinet leisure responsibilities and is a Leisure in Hyndburn board member, declined to comment in detail about the cut, saying only: "The cuts are not done willy-nilly. And, as far as I'm aware, no jobs will be axed at the creche."

Council's community services director Steve Tanti , who emphasised the closure decision was taken by Leisure in Hyndburn. He said he understood creche staff would be transferred.

Leisure in Hyndburn's income comes from admission fees, membership schemes, and grants. Its chief executive Joe Balko was unavailable for comment yesterday, due to holidays.

Oswaldtwistle mum Tracy Gargan, 31,of Aspen Lane, has three young children aged one, two and four years. She said: "It's annoying. I began using the creche in Novermber, once a week. There weren't lots of children there but you had to book in advance to get a place. Now it's closed, I cannot use a sports centre during the day.

Her mother, Susan Briggs, of nearby Cardigan Avenue, said: "Mothers in the membership scheme got two hours' free child care. But the creche has shut, which was blamed on funding problems.

"The council should be encouraging young women and kids to use sports centres. And there should be facilities for mums who stay at home." She said some mums were prepared to pay for the creche.

Hyndburn Council's Labour deputy leader Coun David Myles is also a Hyndburn Leisure Trust board member, but without voting rights.

He said: "The creche didn't make money but was of great value to parents. People offered to pay but I don't think there were enough at this stage to make it profitable.

"However, I believe user numbers could have grown, given the improvements to sports centres by the trust, which has done some wonderful work. But this is a brutal cut which Labour opposed."