A pre-nursery will be closed down – despite a petition to save it.

Howgill Family Centre in Egremont has confirmed its pre-nursery – for two-year-old children – will close later this month.

No staff at the nursery, on the Orgill estate, will lose their jobs.

Patrick Leonard, chief executive at the charity Howgill Family Centre, spoke about the situation.

He said: “It’s down to money really.

“We run five pre-nurseries in Copeland and we had to close one. We chose Egremont because we feel that there is pretty good alternative provision in the area.”

Disappointed parents have started a petition to save the facility, gaining more than 400 signatures.

But Mr Leonard believes there is no other option.

He added: “People are really disappointed.

“I’ve talked to a lot of concerned parents and tried to explain that when child service provision is cut in London it eventually affects our local area.

“All providers of children’s services are struggling, making it viable is hard.”

Until 2012, the pre-nursery was managed by the Open Gates charity.

But, due to funding struggles, Howgill took over.

Doreen Platt, chairwoman of Open Gates Trustees (1999 to 2012), and a former Howgill trustee, said: “Parents of children who attend the playgroup are rightly furious.

“The facility has been to the enormous benefit of not just children but families as well for 20 years.

“How will the government funders view a nursery unit standing empty forcing parents into either a very structured school nursery or expensive private provision?”

Mr Leonard added: “The amount of money from the Government is not great. They are talking about expanding provision from 2017, but at Howgill we just don’t have the time to wait around.”

He admitted that if future funding improved, the charity would consider re-opening its pre-nursery.

He said: “The facilities are still there and we will continue to provide other services in Egremont. I’ve had a lot of conversations with parents and they fully understand the strength of reason behind this when I’ve explained.

“We’re a small local charity and we need to make things pay, unfortunately this action is necessary.”

Egremont Children’s Centre, which shares a building with the pre-nursery, will continue to operate as before, providing health visitor baby clinics and carer and toddler sessions.