SOCIAL services have slammed a BBC investigation into a private day nursery, claiming it wasted staff and police time.

The undercover operation at Bank House Day Nursery in Radcliffe resulted in a member of staff being suspended, but she has since been re-instated.

The BBC has refused to let the council view a copy of its Nurseries Undercover: The Real Story documentary, in which a reporter posed as a nurse at the Blackburn Street nursery. The programme will be shown on Thursday.

But the police, who have viewed the scenes to be shown, say nothing untoward happened.

Bosses in social services accuse the BBC of needlessly worrying parents of youngsters at Bank House, and are seeking a meeting with the broadcaster.

However, the BBC stands by its show, which looks into the standards of care in a number of private nurseries. It maintains that there were "clear breaches of Ofsted guidelines" about the vetting of staff.

"The production team at no stage made allegations that there were child protection issues at the nursery," said a statement.

"The police asked to view footage filmed in the nursery in the course of an investigation. The BBC is satisfied that matters of public concern are raised in this programme."

Miss Jenny Rivers, co-owner of Bank House, said Ofsted had inspected the 18-year-old nursery and given it the highest rating of "good".

"We do not understand why the BBC is including us in the programme," she said. "We have been shown the clips and, far from showing any lack of care for the children, they seem to show quite the opposite."

She added that the matter was now in the hands of her solicitors.

Ms Eleni Ioannides, director of social services, health and housing, said the council acted when it became aware of the investigation last month. "The BBC were completely unco-operative and did not allow us to view the video or even talk to us about it. Unless they are hiding something, it just seems like much ado about nothing."

Councillor Tim Chamberlain, executive member for health and social services, said: "All the agencies involved are concerned about the way the BBC has gone about this, resulting in not only loads of unnecessary anxiety among parents and the nursery owners, but also in the unnecessary suspension of a member of staff and in much wasted police and social services' time investigating a non-event."