A VILLAGE pre-school which faced closure a few months ago, is now thriving.

When two members of staff left, and numbers of children fell, the West Lavington Little Villagers pre-school was plunged into crisis.

But parents and the local community moved in to give support and the closure threat was staved off.

The group, now called Lavington Pre-School, has moved to new premises at Dauntsey's Aided Primary School in West Lavington. Staff and children now have their own classroom and the use of a technology room.

The pre-school, which used to be based in West Lavington Village Hall, has 16 children aged between three and five and, in the next six months, hopes to offer all-day sessions, hot meals and an afternoon session for two-year-olds, as well as taking on a third member of staff.

Committee member Jenny Davey said: "We want the community to know we are still here. We didn't shut down thanks to grit and determination. The group had been in existence for ten to 12 years so it seemed sad it could have closed. We held a meeting and people realised they came close to losing it."

Supervisor Catherine Clifton, said: "We obviously have a close working relationship with the school, but we are still a community pre-school, run by the community for the community."