PARENTS have spoken of their anger after the sudden closure of a nursery which has left them without child care they have already paid for.

Littlefeet Day Nursery in Lanchester Road, Maiden Law, near Lanchester, County Durham, closed its doors without warning on Monday.

Parents had paid November’s child-minding fees on Friday but will now have to wait to see if they are refunded.

Engineer Gordon Graham, 33, from Lanchester, had to take the rest of the week off work to care for his two-yearold daughter Ella.

Last week, he paid more than £700 for her be looked after this month.

Mr Graham said: “We have got no money left to pay for child care this month now, but we still have to arrange for someone to look after the children.”

IT teacher Rachel Johnson, 38, from Lanchester, had to call on her mother-in-law to look after two-year-old Leo so she could go to work on Wednesday.

She said: “People are shocked and upset because reliable child care is just so valuable.”

Twelve staff are being made redundant and parents of more than 30 children will have to make alternative arrangements.

The nursery, in a renovated farm cottage, was opened in 2003 by grandfather-of-four Roger Jeffries.

The retired Nissan worker, originally from London, said it was with regret that he had to close the nursery.

He blamed the economic climate and competition from Government-run Sure Start centres that led to the situation.

Mr Jeffries said: “I will certainly make every best endeavour top make sure that the parents are reimbursed.

“When we banked the money on Friday we intended to keep going until November 30 but that is no longer possible.

“We are all very sorry.”