A POPULAR children's pre-school in Alveston has been forced to find new premises after its old classroom was condemned as unsafe.

St Helen's Pre-school - based at St Helen's Primary School - had to shut down temporarily last week after local authority inspectors found potentially serious structual defects in its portable classroom.

The pre-school re-opened on Monday in stop-gap accommodation at Alveston's Jubilee Hall and now the fight is on to raise cash for a replacement building back at the school.

"Staff and volunteers had to work flat out to get enough equipment over to the hall and make it as homely as possible for the children," said secretary Philippa de la Haye.

"We're lucky to have found somewhere but it isn't an ideal solution. Storage is a problem and due to other bookings we can't have the same session times.

"Added to that, the cost of hiring the hall is nearly double our previous rent so we're actually in financial crisis."

She said the pre-school would be looking for grant aid for a new building in the school grounds as a matter of urgency.

"The pre-school and school are at the heart of the community in Alveston and this is a huge blow to the village," said Philippa.

Pre-school manager Mandy Tomlinson said the strong links with the school would be maintained.

"Staff are committed to providing a smooth transition for the children into the new location and we shall strive to maintain the same high level of early years education," she said. "We're grateful to parents and also to the Jubilee Hall management committee for their support during this time."

St Helen's head teacher Jonathan Cooke said staff were devastated by the loss of the pre-school from the school site.

"It provides excellent early years education for children aged two-and-a-half to four and is very much is very much a part of our life here at St Helen's," he said.

"It was situated close to the infant area, helping to build links with the reception class and ensuring a smooth transition into the main school."

The pre-school is a registered charity and anyone seeking further information should call Mandy Tomlinson on 01454 415264.