MPs are being asked to put their literary skills to the test.

Skipton MP David Curry will be reading a story about his first day at school to children at Otley Street Under Fives group on Friday.

And on May 8, Keighley Labour MP Ann Cryer will visit Eastburn pre-school to read a story to the children about her first school day.

The visits are part of the nationwide writing competition for MPs called From Rhyme to Reason: Pre-schools count run by the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

It aims to raise awareness of the work undertaken by the groups in their communities.

All MPs were asked to write a story about their first day at school. A celebrity panel of judges will compile a shortlist of winners to go forward to finals later next month.

Otley Street Centre supervisor Janet Clarke said: "The children have been looking forward to hearing Mr Curry's story all week."

And Eastburn pre-school supervisor Mrs Margaret Smith said: "We are delighted to have Ann Cryer visiting us as part of the campaign. This is a vital campaign which should help to give pre-schools like ours a secure future."

Margaret Lochrie, for the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: "Hundreds of thousands of children and their parents benefit every day from having a local pre-school nearby, but pre-schools are continuing to close.

"We hope the Pre-schools Count campaign will encourage the Government to implement the recommendations of a recent independent review of pre-schools and playgroups which will help end such closures."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.