LANCASHIRE County Council is misleading parents about the rules of a new education voucher system, a nursery owner claims.

Laura Knowles, of Nook Barn Private Nursery at Cherry Tree, Blackburn, says a leaflet sent to parents describing the new voucher system to pay for education for four-year-olds implies it only relates to local authority schools.

She is so angry about the leaflet, she has written to Education Secretary Gillian Shephard to complain.

Laura says the vouchers, being introduced next April to pay for education for four-year-olds, can be used at state nurseries, local authority nurseries, private and voluntary schools, playgroups and pre-school groups as long as they are officially registered.

She said: "I received an official leaflet from the Department of Education which described the proposed new system very clearly. "Then I got one from Lancashire County Council which I think is very biased.

"It says: 'A voucher is a ticket for your four-year-old to attend our nursery schools, classes and reception classes in primary schools, nursery, reception classes and special schools'.

"This makes it sound like they can only be used at Lancashire County Council schools, which isn't the case."

Private and voluntary nurseries and schools will be inspected by social services and OFSTED to ensure they meet certain educational standards before they can be registered.

A county council spokeswoman argued that the leaflets did not contain inaccurate information and added they would only be given to parents of children already using or seeking a place at a county council nursery or school.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.