A GROUP of Colne parents who feared the North Valley day nursery would close due to Government spending cuts organised a petition and public demonstration back in 1980.

Worried mothers met with Pendle councillor Tony Greaves as they believed the closure was imminent.

However, the director of social services, Rex Johnson, said the committee had other options to discuss before they made a decision on its closure.

He said that the nursery had been put on the list of potential closures as the number of places in the district was well above guidelines.

However, parent, Julie Holland, said her daughter owed her life to the staff at the nursery.

She said: "Experts told me Vicki had an emotional problem but staff agreed with me when I thought something more was wrong and then we discovered she had kidney failure. She'd be dead without the staff there."