DAY nurseries in Swindon have rushed to distance themselves from the practices shown in a BBC TV programme this week.

Thursday's Nurseries Undercover The Real Story showed nursery staff in Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and Teddington, London maltreating children, and unqualified staff left alone with children.

The programme brought back unwanted memories for one Swindon mother. Her 11-month-old daughter was burned and scarred last year.

The mum, who did not wish to be named, said: "The programme was very disturbing.

"It showed a case study of a girl who burnt her hand on a radiator, and it brought back all the emotions I felt at the time of my daughter's accident, and I was very upset.

"One worker was heating milk in a room where a number of other child-ren were playing.

"She left the room and another worker knocked the bottle and milk spurted out. There was a fingernail-sized blister on my daughter's left foot.

"There should not have been only one worker in the room, and they should not have been heating a bottle in the same room as the children.

"We were compensated but we removed our child from the nursery.

Vas Charitos, managing director of Poplars Daycare Nursery in Lower Wanborough, said: "Unfortunately it only emphasised bad practices and did little to describe the majority of childcare experiences.

"It undervalued the tremendous job done by thousands of nursery workers.

"When new parents visit the Poplars they see us as we are. We also encourage parents to pop in and see us at any time."

He is not concerned the programme will affect the nursery.

He said: "We are still getting calls for appointments to view us."

Sandria Murkin, owner of Westgate nursery school and crche in Crick-lade Road, watched the programme and videotaped it to show her staff.

"There clearly was evidence of bad practice.

"But it's a pity they didn't balance this with the huge number of nurseries where this doesn't happen.

"I was particularly shocked the reporter was given work in a nursery after only giving her name and mobile phone number, and by the abusive language used by staff."

Mrs Murkin advised prospective parents to look round several nurseries before making a choice, rather than pick the nearest.

She recommended parents always look at a nursery's Ofsted report.

editor@newswilts.co.uk