STAFF at a long-established children's playgroup are blaming the council for forcing its closure.

The Queens Park playgroup, in Euclid Street, has run morning sessions in the council-run nursery building for 19 years.

But now it has been asked to find alternative premises.

With rents too high elsewhere, the playgroup, set up by a voluntary committee of mothers in 1987, will be disbanded when it leaves the hall on April 4.

Playgroup worker Helen Burns, 53, said: "A lot of people have said can't we fight'? But there is no point. The council is kicking us out and that is that."

The playgroup, for children from two to four years old, has operated with funding from the Government.

Parents have had to find a place at another playgroup or sign up to the council nursery. "It is the same hall, same children - it's just different staff," said playgroup superviser Sue Townsend.

"It was a bit of a kick in the teeth really to think they just stepped into our shoes.

"They even asked us if they could borrow our equipment."

Miss Townsend believes there has been a long-term goal to change the hall from a community venue to a nursery.

"There used to be a sewing club, a luncheon club, a Queen's Park committee, but they have all been squeezed out," she said. "It was a social hall, but now it's a nursery, so the whole community has lost out."

A council spokesman said management of the hall had switched to the nursery some time ago and since then the number of groups using the hall had dropped - reducing income for the nursery.

"As a non-profit making centre, the children's nursery must ensure it does not subsidise other services," the spokesman said.

"Following a review of the financial position of the social hall, and increasing demand for nursery places, the council decided it was better to increase the number of sessions offered by the nursery than raise the rent of the pre-school.

"This ultimately means expansion of the nursery and an enhanced service to the local community. Throughout this process, we have continued to maintain a good working relationship with the pre-school and the council has offered to assist them find alternative premises.

"In addition, all children currently at the pre-school have been given first refusal on places at the nursery. We are delighted that 77 per cent of the children will be joining the nursery from April.

"A recruitment drive for more nursery staff was also undertaken and we encouraged existing pre-school staff to apply."