A PRE-SCHOOL nursery could be forced to close because of a huge rent rise.

Carol Greenfield's Kidz 'R' Uz facility for two to four year olds caters for 31 Atherton youngsters, but they could be forced out of Dorset Road Community centre because the centre committee say they need to increase room hire from £80 a week to £200.

Day care nursery leader Carol Greenfield was shocked by the demand and has asked the committee for more than the week's grace offered for her to consider the new deal.

She said: "The first I knew was when I received a letter telling me my rent was being increased to £160 from £80. I attended a meeting with them and offered to show my cash flow accounts but they weren't interested. Then they said the charge had gone up to £200. I only take a wage for myself out of the nursery and pay my three staff -- it is a private nursery but I am not making a fortune.

"I had to lay off one member of staff on Friday because of the increase and now they've told me I may have to pay an extra £50 to cover gas, water, electric and sewerage costs!"

Carol, of Coronation Avenue, Atherton said 99 per cent of the nursery children were from the Hag Fold estate. She has run Kidz 'R' Uz at the Hag Fold centre for the past 18 months.

She added: "If I have to close because of this it would affect a lot of parents as well as the children and would put myself and staff out of work.

This is my only income but it is a very big decision and I told them I need longer than a week to consider it. We are a small, happy, family environment."

Young mum Penny Hurst of Leigh Road, Atherton whose two year-old son Taylor attends Kidz 'R' Us said: "I think it's wrong. My little lad has been to other playgroups and wouldn't settle, but he loves it there. And on Tuesdays I have started doing a teaching assistant course at the Centre but if there's no nursery I couldn't do it."

Her sister-in-law Sadie Hurst, of Peak Avenue on the Hag Fold estate, said she started a computer course at the community centre where her three year-old son Alex attends the nursery.

Mrs Hurst said: "If the nursery closes I'd have to end my computer studies."