A flagship £1m nursery that opened in Lowestoft two years ago has been forced to close because of a lack of local support.

A flagship £1m nursery that opened in Lowestoft two years ago has been forced to close because of a lack of local support.

The Wind in the Willows Nursery, in Riverside Road, was one of 17 nurseries opened across the UK in 2005 as part of the government's neighbourhood nursery initiative, aimed at providing affordable services for children and support for families in the country's most deprived areas.

But this week, the nursery's owners said the business had been operating at less than a third of its potential occupancy, leaving them with no choice but to close.

This week parents were sent letters telling them the nursery services would end in a month. One parent said: "This all came as a huge shock, and a month is not very long to try to find an alternative nursery for the children."

A spokesman for Wind in the Willows said: "We are sad that the nursery in Lowestoft is to close but unfortunately it has only been running with about 27pc occupancy when it needs at least 60pc. We have done everything we could to keep it open."