SEVENTY children from around Bridport will have to look for new pre-school places with the closure of Watercleaves Nursery School next year.

Principal Debbie Smith and partner John Dalton have decided to call it a day after eight years at the two-acre Dottery site.

They say increasing amounts of red tape and the desire to leave in good health and while they are still enjoying the work prompted their decision.

In a letter to parents announcing the closure in July next year Ms Smith said she understood the closure would be a surprise and disappointment for many, especially as the nursery was judged ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

She said: “But it has to come to an end sometime and there is no way to eliminate this upset completely.

“John and I are both finding that the nursery has completely taken over our lives, and while work with the children remains a joy the rest of the job has become stressful and overbearing, especially the uphill struggle for compliance with the complexity and constraints of government regulation and funding.

“We want to keep up our enthusiasm and standards to the end while we still have the energy and good health.

“For us this decision brings a mixture of tremendous sadness, but also welcome relief that there is now light at the end of the tunnel.”

Ms Smith said they wanted to give as much notice as possible to give families to chance to find alternative provision.

There are 10 staff members who will have to find new employment.

Ms Smith added: “Parents have been very understanding – many of them appreciate how much there is to do. They have been very supportive of us.”

Although the nursery is not closing until next July its mother and toddler group will stop in September.

The couple ran Hooke Court before opening Watercleaves.

Mum Sarah Hannam, whose two-year-old daughter Elsie goes to the nursery, said its closure was going to be a great shame for the Bridport area.

She said: “It’s been brilliant. It is going to be a real shame but they do work very hard and they have got to have some time for themselves.”

A spokesman for Dorset County Council said it had not been notified officially of the nursery closure.

Mrs Smith added: “Having made our decision the first priority was to get the news to our staff and existing parents but we have been in contact with quite a lot of other people, including other nurseries because it is going to affect them in a year’s time.”