PARENTS in Westleigh are angry at the sudden closure of a long-established playsheme.

After four years of providing a haven for youngsters at the XII Apostles Church Hall, the group were shocked to be told on Monday that they had just 48 hours to leave the premises.

They claim they were told that safety measures at the hall, next to the local Labour Club on Nel Pan lane, were not up to scratch.

But parents, who now face a bleak spring and summer holiday season without facilities for upto 40 children upto eight years of age, say the work could be done in less than three hours.

One angry parent, Sonya Gibbons of Shipham Close, who has been taking her children to the group since it started said: "We have always found it perfectly alright.

"Now we receive a visit from the council's safety officials saying we have to close straight away, one of the reasons being there is no barrier on a set of three steps."

She added: "The parents themselves have agreed that they would do the work themselves and it could be done in about three hours at the most, but we were told that we had until Wednesday morning to close.

"Everyone is disgusted that we have not been given the chance to get the work done and have not been given any proper notice. The holidays are coming up and it means all these children will now have nowhere to go."

A council spokesman said: "Our paramount concern in regard to playgroups is for the safety of children and there are clear regulations about the number of children that can be cared for and the number of hours they can be looked after, and we have found that the ratio of staff to children at XII Apostles playgroup is in clear breach of the regulations.

"They have not in any way been closed down, but meetings have been held and they have been told to address the problems and come up with an Action Plan."

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