INSPECTORS will today visit a Southampton pre-school for the second time in ten weeks after a second toddler escaped from the premises unchallenged.

The team from the Office for Standards in education (Ofsted) could close down Manor Road Pre-School in Woolston if they are not satisfied it is safe.

Their visit comes after a mother reported it to the education watchdog when she found her son outside the main entrance of the Manor Road North meeting place.

The boy's mother had actually been in the pre-school to collect her son when the incident happened at the end of one of the sessions.

It is believed she had been chatting with other parents, who had also come to collect their children, when her son's name was called.

According to eye-witness accounts the child walked to his mum and then went out of the door.

Moments later the parent realised that her child was nowhere to be seen and found the boy had walked out the door and down the ramp.

He was spotted as other parents were coming and going through the main door.

Pre-school supervisor Shirley Goble said: "The parent was there. I called the child to the parent. The child went to the parent.

"The parent did not acknowledge the child. The child went out the door and down the ramp."

She said moments later the parent went to the child, who was found outside the pre-school, based in Woolston Methodist Church.

Ofsted inspectors visited the charity run organisation on Friday to look at the pre-school's plans and risk assessment for going home procedures.

At present staff check to see whether parents have arrived at the pre-school before they call out the children's name one at a time so that they can be collected.

Now the pre-school has been ordered to put a stairgate on the main door to be supervised by Mrs Goble who will call the parents to the gate one at a time when collecting their children.

Inspectors will watch the new procedure in action at the pre-school, which has 78 children on its books.

It is the second time in as many months that a child has walked out of the pre-school unchallenged - although on the most recent occasion the parent was on the premises.

An Ofsted spokesman said: "We have been made aware of an incident and we will be investigating whether the pre-school continues to meet the national standards for children.

"We have a range of powers and the inspector will decide what action, if any, Ofsted or the provider must take in order to comply with the national standards and remain qualified for registration."

In February we highlighted the case of little Kate Steele, aged two, who walked along a busy road, crossed over through busy traffic and continued down two alleyways before managing to find her back garden and cry for help.