TWO nurseries in Oldham are set to close – and the manager of one is saying it is a 'disaster' for the children in the area.

MiChild, the owner of 18 nurseries across Greater Manchester and the north west, is closing Hillside Nursery in Moorside and Park Nursery in Werneth on Christmas Eve.

The parents have been informed and places at other nurseries have been offered to their children, according to MiChild.

But Emma Whiteley, the manager of Hillside Nursery, thinks these other nurseries are not all accessible to the parents, some of whom do not drive, or who need to go to work or to take other children to school.

She told The Oldham Times a number of children will miss out without the nursery on their doorstep.

Emma said: "The closure of [Hillside Nursery] is a disaster for this community.

"We cannot just give up and do nothing. They are going to be the lost children."

Of particular concern to Emma are vulnerable families in Moorside, which she described as 'deprived'.

These vulnerable families are often afraid to go to social services for fear of them taking their children, making the nursery an essential source of support.

Emma said: "No one is going to know these families are struggling until it's too late. Until something serious happens."

"These children are going to be forgotten. They are going to have nowhere to go until they go to school."

In a statement, a spokesperson for MiChild said: "Following a review of our provision of nursery places, we have taken the decision to close two of our nurseries in Oldham. While we understand that this may be inconvenient for some parents, we sadly must make these decisions for commercial reasons.

"We are thankful and incredibly proud of our staff teams at both nurseries, who have been so professional and supportive since the announcement was made to them, and we are working with both teams to retain and relocate as many staff as possible within our network of nurseries.

"As a company, we remain committed to Oldham and to providing safe, happy and inspiring childcare for all the children in our care."

The Oldham Times has asked Oldham Council for a comment.