COUNCILLORS in Lancaster say the fight to save Greaves Park and Willow nurseries is far from over.

The fight will go on, is the claim from Cllr Sheila Denwood in the wake of Lancashire County Councils shocking announcement last week to close two of Lancaster's best-loved nurseries.

In a move to show her commitment to the campaign, cllr Denwood spent yesterday (Tuesday) tying yellow ribbons around the Greaves Park school sign and along Borham Road and the round about.

And she is urging parents to do the same. Says cllr Denwood: "I would urge parents and grandparents to tie yellow ribbons around the area to show support, so wherever you see a yellow ribbon fluttering it's a sign."

Campaigners have just six weeks to make an appeal against the decision, which was made after consultation with parents at both nurseries, with 148 out of 155 respondents expressing their opinion for neither school to close (option 1).

Cllr Jonathan Sear for the Green Party says: "If County Councillor Grunshaw claims that these figures show an overwhelming number of people support the closures he must surely have got the two options mixed up."

He adds: "The Schools Organisation will meet in January to discuss what happens next. This committee is independent of the County Council. Any member of that committee can insist that an adjudicator appointed by the Secretary of State for Education decides in the future of the nurseries. Government rules prevent closure unless it is clearly in the best interests of local children and families."

But the council claims that a condition survey of Greaves Park in 2003 highlighted a number of maintenance issues and decided nursery buildings were no longer suitable without thousands of pounds worth of repairs.

The council believes that parents will be given a wider choice of childcare provision in the area, with better facilities and more suitable places for working parents.

But cllr Denwood says: "I will do everything until the final nail comes down. I'm very disappointed. It's been a happy place for many children and their parents and grandparents. It's worth fighting till the end."