MOTHERS in Morecambe have joined forces to fight County Council plans to close their day nursery.

County Hall mandarins have drawn up a scheme to turn Morecambe Day Nursery into a family centre but local mothers say the nursery is vital for many families and has been a great success for many generations.

The mums claim a family centre will be unable to offer the same level of child cover and have questioned why the county council needs to change something that works so well.

They are also angry that the proposals have been drawn up in Preston without anyone in Morecambe being consulted.

One mother Annette Smith said: "We're fighting for the parents who will follow on from us.

It's not so bad for my four-year old daughter because she starts school in September but I will need to find alternative childcare arrangements for my

three-year-old twins."

Ward councillors Shirley Burns and Tricia Heath are backing the residents campaign and they say they are disgusted with the county council's decision.

Cllr Tricia Heath said: "The County Council has signed up to Neighbourhood Renewal which means consulting with local people about the best way forward.

The first parents heard about this was a letter informing them that it will close.

What sort of consultation is that? They've spent a small fortune on glossy leaflets and brochures telling us what a caring, listening council they are.

Why can' t this money be spent on actually keeping this much-loved nursery open.

This makes a farce of their consultation process and show's it's just lip service."

Cllr Shirley Burns added: "This nursery has been well used by generations of families.

It would be a tragic loss to the community."

A spokesman for the county council said that their aim was to improve services for children and that they believed family centres were the way forward.