ANGRY parents protested outside a Bradford children's centre today after it was announced that its nursery would be shut in the middle of the school year.

The closure of the nursery at Mortimer House Children's Centre in Fagley is scheduled for March 24, the end of the spring term, but parents are concerned this will leave them with no childcare for the remainder of the school year.

It was reported in the Telegraph & Argus last week that The Children's Society, which runs the nursery, is closing three nurseries at children's centres in Bradford as part of a national scheme to re-direct its focus to vulnerable children aged ten to 18.

The two other nurseries are the Gateway Children's Centre in Ravenscliffe and the Summerfield Nursery in Thorpe Edge.

The running of the children's centres, which will remain open, is being transferred to Bradford Council. 

Anwaar Fatima, who has one child at the Mortimer House nursery, said the parents of the 83 children at the centre felt abandoned by the charity.

She said: "It is unacceptable to abandon the children mid-term, they should keep the nursery open at least until the end of the school year.

"Many of the children are going from nursery into school, which is one of the hardest times for a child, and it is really unfair on them.

"Other nurseries in the area do not even have space, and I am having to consider keeping my child at home which is unfair because she has made lots of friends.

"We just want The Children's Society to know how we feel."

Ms Fatima also pointed out that lots of parents in the area relied on the service, and were really disheartened that it will be closing.

The Children's Society said that since the three nurseries were all under-subscribed it would not be financially viable to keep them open any longer, and it was ultimately Bradford Council's responsibility to provide free childcare places.

It said it was re-directing its focus to ten to 18-year-olds "suffering poverty and neglect".

Rob Jackson, the charity's area director for northern England, said: "We have attempted to identify an alternative provider for the nurseries, without success, and our focus is now on working with the council to make sure the children who use our nurseries are found places elsewhere."

A council spokesman said: "The council is working with The Children's Society to contact those parents affected, and we are doing all we can to help parents find alternative childcare places."

He urged people affected by the closures who wanted to discuss the issue to call the authority on 01274 437503.