DISGRUNTLED parents have voiced their anger at a decision by a South Lakeland leisure centre to close its creche after three decades.

A group of mothers claimed the plans at Lakes Leisure, in Kendal, would make exercising ‘impossible’.

Managers at the centre announced last week that the creche, open on Tuesdays and Thursday, would shut from the end of December as part of a string of ‘difficult’ cuts caused by the public spending crisis.

Portia Crees, who leaves her 18-month-old daughter Martha at the creche, claims a lack of adveristing has resulted in the service becoming unprofitable. She said if that issue was resolved, the creche could be transformed into a valuable economic asset.

“I run a toddlers group and I know lots of mothers who use the service now they know it is there but before I told them they had no idea it existed,” she said.

“This is an irreplaceable service, as any good child minder has a waiting list and would not be able to pop in and tell me if Martha needed something when I’m swimming, like the staff at the gym can do.”

Sousan Dehghannin said the service not only enabled her to excercise but was also a good place to socalise, which the mothers could not do without the creche.

“The gym is a place where the mothers can meet up and hang out knowing their child is being looked after close by.”

The creche, which has been opened for 30 years, employs two childminders who will both lose their jobs.

Chief executive of Lakes Leisure, Dave Ronald, said he did not want to close the service but was left with no choice as the centre had to prepare for up to 25 per cent cuts in funding over the next few years.

“Local authorities where we get our funding will be experiencing cuts and that will be passed on to us,” he said.

“Also, health and safety legislation has made it increasingly hard to keep the service running.”