A nursery has been forced to close after nearly half a century due to a lack of government funding.

Kings Pre-School, which is based at a church hall in Walderslade, will shut permanently in July leaving staff and parents “devastated”.

Manager Debbie Fouch said sadly they had reached a point where they were no longer financially viable and could not break even.

It has been serving the community for 46 years and currently looks has 29 children on the roll, many of whom will have to find other placements.

Nine staff have also been left looking for alternative jobs.

Mrs Fouch said the closure of nurseries due to a massive shortfall in funding was a national issue and she predicted an increasing number to shut.

She said: “Believe me, we have explored every avenue and the sums just don’t add up.

‘This will leave an enormous gap in the community...’

“The funding we receive does not match inflation, nor does it match the percentage increase of the national living wage, let alone provide funds for our senior, experienced staff.

“Over the last five years there has been a 39% increase in living wage, but only a 9% increase in funding.”

Mrs Fouch, a former primary school teacher whose three children attended the nursery at St Philip and St James church hall, took over the site 12 years ago.

She added: “This will leave an enormous gap in the community. We have had generations, aunts, uncles mums and dads come here.

“People need to realise that it’s not about child care, it’s about early years education.”

Since making the announcement last week the 49-year-old has received an “overwhelming reaction of sadness and anger” from parents and former staff.

She added that the church had been “extremely supportive” feeling they were an integral part of the neighbourhood.

The school in King George Road has built up a commendable reputation and at the last Ofsted inspection it was given an overall “good” rating.

Mrs Fouch will be joining other members of the Early Years Equality movement to march on Downing Street on Saturday to register their extreme disappointment.

The national campaign dubbed “Champagne Nurseries on Lemonade Funding” seeks to highlight the government’s lack of support for the sector.

Mrs Fouch, who runs the setting with her deputy Claire Graham,43, is organising a big end-of-term picnic in their grounds for anyone who had links with King’s over the last 46 years.