Parents are claiming closure of a special needs nursery in Kent has caused “severe regression” in their autistic children’s health.

At a special meeting, Andrew Horne, chief executive of the Medway NHS Trust, and Kate Taylor, general manager of the trust’s Directorate of Children and Women, were “pilloried and shouted at” over the closure.

Shireley Corsen-Smith, 35, of Rochester, whose four-year-old daughter Amelia is autistic, said: “We had a special meeting concerning the closure of Woodlands Special Needs Nursery this week, and some parents were so upset and absolutely lost.

“When the Primary Care Trust closed our Woodlands Road building, they gave us a small room in Woodlands Primary School which, frankly, is totally inadequate.

“A number of parents said the closure of our original building has caused the welfare of their children to deteriorate.”

Closure of the nursery was discussed during the Friends of Woodlands annual meeting, in Gillingham Methodist Centre, last week, which Andrew Horne and Kate Taylor attended.

The Friends of Woodlands treasurer, Colin Russell, said: “When they arrived, they clearly realised feelings were running very high among our parents.

“They were pilloried and ran the gauntlet for over an hour. Parent after parent made it clear the small room our nursery had been relegated to in the primary school was not good enough.

“There is no sensory room where children can calm down, no room to function properly, and it is so small, vital equipment cannot be used there. In fairness though, both executives did very well. We all parted amicably and they did give us hope for better premises in the near future.”

There were NHS Trust plans, it seems, to extend occupation of the small Woodlands Primary School room beyond the summer, but after parents’ reaction on Tuesday, these may be shelved.

Alternative sites are being looked at by the trust.

* The nursery, in Woodlands Road, Gillingham, was closed without warning in February, leaving dozens of anxious parents in the lurch.

* A leaking roof is among essential repairs needed at the now boarded-up site, declared unsafe. Parents said the trust has been aware of the condition of the building for months. Essential equipment, which cannot be used at the new premises, is stored in the old building.

* Staff have to carry pieces of equipment in and out daily because it cannot be left in the room used by other organisations.