Last minute attempts to save the Snapdragon nursery in Chippenham failed when college bosses refused to change their minds about axeing it.

The nursery, which has been based in a mobile classroom on the Wiltshire College Chippenham campus for the past 20 years, shut its doors on Friday leaving dozens of children in the town with no where to go when the term starts again in September.

Workers at the nursery thought they could have a last minute reprieve when nursery boss Rosemary Collard met principal Di Dale with the hope of finding another mobile base on the site.

But just hours after staff started to gain home the college confirmed the closure.

A spokesman for Wiltshire College said: “Di Dale, principal of Wiltshire College and the owner of Snapdragons Nursery have been liaising closely over the closure of the nursery and the availability of space on the college campus.

“The conclusion has been drawn that it is extremely unlikely that there will a suitable space on the site in the foreseeable future.

“Therefore Friday was the last day that the Snapdragons nursery will be present on the Wiltshire College Chippenham site.

“It is the end of a long and successful relationship between the college and the nursery and we wish them and all their staff well for the future.”

The news that college bosses refused to grant the nursery a stay of execution has enraged people in the town.

Unitary councillor for the Monkton Park ward Chris Caswell said: “Monkton Park and town centre residents have lost an invaluable community facility.

“And this could well have been avoided if longer notice had been given, more people involved and discussions about alternatives had been started earlier.

“This is a little local tragedy, which could certainly have been avoided.”

Nursery worker Michelle Rowbotham said: “It is really sad.

“We thought things could have been talked through and maybe we could have been relocated elsewhere.

“I think this is a crying shame and now parents and children have the unsettling task of finding somewhere else to go in September.

“This has been very hard for us.”

More than 600 people signed a petition to try and save the nursery from closing but to no avail.