HUNDREDS of parents have been left without childcare following the shock closure of a popular Penton Mewsey day-care provider.

St Benedict's Pre-School and Nursery dropped the bombshell news in letters sent out on Saturday - giving parents of 140 children no chance to make alternative arrangements.

Some 44 staff also received the same letter.

The sudden closure apparently follows a decision by the diocese of Portsmouth to take legal action because it has questions about the transfer of the school building in April 2003.

At that time it's believed the building was sold for £155,000 to co-director Vivien Rolfe's ex-husband Doug Rolfe, who then leased the building back to the school's trustees.

Trustees of the pre-school and nursery - which was described by Ofsted inspectors as 'outstanding' in June 2005 - are now expected to call in the receivers.

One of St Benedict's nursery assistants has been dealt the double blow of losing both her job and the fees she has pre-paid for her daughter's care at the pre-school.

The 21-year-old Andover resident, who doesn't wish to be named, said: "All the workers have lost a month's wages and with my daughter's fees on top of that I've lost over £1,000.

"It's an argument between the church and the trustees and we're caught in the middle of it."

This week has seen scores of parents frantically phoning Andover nurseries and playschools to find places for their children.

Many of them have been forced to take time off work to make alternative arrangements and nearly all have found themselves out of pocket after pre-paying fees.

Outraged mum Claire Hewlett said: "It's the way it's been done. There are 44 staff members who have worked so hard but have been left with nothing."

Trustee co-director Vivien Rolfe said she and fellow director Stephen Fisher were left 'heartbroken' by the closure.

Last month she wrote to Bishop Crispin Hollis at the Portmouth Diocese begging him to withdraw the legal action over the school's Penton Lodge building.

Mrs Rolfe said that the school's bankers couldn't register a charge over the building's freehold if a restriction was in place.

The school's overdraft facility would be withdrawn as a result.

Diocese spokesman Barry Hudd said the school building was not registered in the name of St Benedict's Convent School Limited or St Benedict's Pre-School and Nursery.

He said the diocese had no knowledge of the school's banking relationship or the effect its actions would have on the school.

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