NURSERY closures in Lancashire are among the highest in the country, a report reveals.

There have been 11 nursery closures in Lancashire over the last 12 months, the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has revealed.

It is the local authority with the highest number of closures, joint with Warwickshire. This compares to 21 closures throughout Greater London.

Three of these nurseries were based in East Lancashire, one in Ribble Valley, one in Burnley and the other in Accrington.

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of NDNA, said: “These figures show the shocking consequences of this policy. Our investigation into closures suggests a clear link with lower funding rates."

In Lancashire there were just two nursery closures 2016-2017 compared to 11 over the last 12 months.