IT'S cheque-out time for fun park boss Paul Taylor as he says goodbye to the mothers and children from his play-school.

Angry parents gathered in protest outside St Annes Pleasure Island yesterday (March 20) after the sudden closure of the kindergarten.

A group of young mums marched into the complex and demanded refunds for nursey sweatshirts they bought weeks earlier.

Now 68 toddlers have to find somewhere else to play after dedicated nursery nurse Kathie Asquith and her team of four were told to leave.

A selection of donated toys, books and videos were also requested back from the staff of Pleasure Island.

The closure came as a result of construction work on a new cinema directly above the old nursery.

Letters confirming the construction work were sent out earlier this month.

Parents were told of the kindergarten's temporary relocation to another room in an attempt not to disrupt the class.

Then, after parents expressed concern about safety on the site, came news of the closure.

Kathie Asquith, team leader of the kindergarten, had the task of notifying staff of the loss of their jobs.

She said: "It is the children who are going to suffer. Children, parents and staff, including myself, are all extremely upset - it was all very sudden."

The work on the new cinema, which is due to open this summer, was approved by both social services and the fire department.

But when mothers turned up the following week they found an enormous crane parked close to the entrance.

A complaint was made to the Department of Health and Safety which recommended the nursery be closed.

Angry parent Fiona Verenakis said: "Mrs Asquith was excellent at her job and the children all loved her.

"With only three months to go before school term starts, this could not have happened at a worse time

"Parents were left in the dark in the way the whole operation was carried out.

"The workmen seemed to carry on regardless, even while children were entering and leaving the building."

Paul Taylor, managing director of Pleasure Island, said: "We had no choice but to close the kindergarten.

"We tried to relocate Mrs Asquith and other staff to Shepherd's Lodge and Braithewaite Manor, but she said this was not good enough as the children had settled here."

Mr Taylor apologised for the inconvenience and refunded any money to the dissatisfied parents.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.