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Staff and children are locked out as nursery closes

Staff at two Blackpool nurseries were left out in the cold last Monday after the owner closed the nurseries without informing them.

Over 20 staff at The Meltons and The Hollies nurseries are now jobless, with six weeks' wages unpaid and no explanation. The locks on both premises had been changed and staff were left to tell parents what they had found.

Joint owners and brothers Shahzad and Samir Hussain bought The Meltons and took over as registered providers of The Hollies, a designated Neighbourhood Nursery in a converted church, in 2007.

Louise Custard was employed at The Meltons only a month ago and her two-year-old son Max has attended since January.

She said, 'We arrived on Monday morning, the locks had been changed and there was a sign on the door saying "closed for refurbishment". We could also see the computer and microwave were missing. Obviously he's just done a runner or something.'

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