THE sudden closure of an Evesham nursery has left staff and parents shocked with some forced to cancel their holidays due to money worries.

Mystery still surrounds the closure of Twinkie Tweedles Day Nursery, at Wallace House in Oat Street, which shut on Friday, July 18.

Owner of the nursery, Kerry Harkins, is said to have given little to no warning to staff at the nursery about the impending closure and some have even been left with outstanding money issues meaning they have had to cancel summer plans with their own children.

One staff member, who the Journal is not naming, was forced to cancel her family holiday as she was concerned about her finances after being left with no employment.

She said: "I had to cancel my holiday. The kids were really disappointed. I can't do a lot with my kids, they haven't had a rubbish holiday but I haven't been able to do what I wanted to do.

"I have had to live on hardly anything. I have been really down and really upset about it."

Another member of staff added: "Staff and parents have been left disappointed. Parents were left with no care. Staff have been left with payment issues. It's left people having to find jobs. It's left people struggling. Nursery jobs are hard to find."

A third staff member also said she had to inform fellow staff when they turned up for work and it was closed.

"I have a child, I have had to take her out of child care to make it easier," she added. "It's absolutely terrible. I am looking for anything now really. Otherwise I will have to go and work in a supermarket."

The closure on July 18 happened on the same day that Ofsted visited the nursery for a monitored visit.

However Ofsted confirmed the closure was not related and the registration was withdrawn at the end of the day.

The visit from Ofsted took place following an inadequate inspection on April 22.

But at the latest visit on July 18 the report stated: "Having considered all the evidence, the inspector is of the opinion that the setting has taken prompt and effective action to address the points for improvement."

It also said: "The inspector found that you have made significant progress in addressing the actions raised at the last inspection. During discussions, you also confirmed that some of these targets are still being worked on, so that they are fully established and consolidated."

The Journal tried to contact Kerry Harkins.