PARENTS with children at the Little People nursery, hit by a meningitis nightmare, today spoke of their shock and sadness as they dropped youngsters off at the Derby Street, Colne, centre.

Children and staff have been advised to take antibiotics as a precaution but have been assured that the risk of further cases occuring at the site were extremely small.

But parents said there would always be some cause for concern.

Julie Cole, whose six-year-old daughter attends the nursery's after-school club, said: "When we got the letter telling us that two children had contracted meningitis we rang the doctor straightaway.

"We got the antibiotics on Monday and she just has one dose left to take. They are given a two-day course of medicine with two doses per day.

"I have just explained to her that two children at the nursery were very poorly. She had to take the medicine so that she didn't get poorly too.

"They've said there's not a high risk but at the end of the day it is still meningitis so you do tend to still be a bit concerned."

Zoe Alcock, of Salisbury Street, in Colne, was collecting her three-year-old son, Jack Allen, from the nursery.

She said: "They've said it's all right now but I still didn't want to bring him this morning.

"The nursery can't tell us who the children are but it's just a terrible thing to happen.

"I got the letter this morning and went to the doctor. There were a lot of other people in there getting the antibiotics.

"I've not told Jack what has happened but he knows he has to have the medicine. He's too young to understand and he might go shouting something out at nursery."

A father, who did not want to be named, whose three-year-old daughter attends the centre, said: "I was concerned on Monday when I heard about it but they've reassured us and she has had the antibiotics and had already had the jab for the C strain version. It's tragic for the family involved."

Staff confirmed that the nursery, which caters for 97 children from the age of four months up to approximately five years old, would remain open.

They said that everyone had now received letters and parents were being vigilant and ensuring that their children got the antibiotics.

Public Health doctor Rajpura Arif said: "The nursery will continue to run as normal and the risk to members of staff and children is very low.

"The little girl in hospital is still very ill but stable so we are keeping our fingers crossed for her."