FIVE creches at Bolton Community College face the axe if college chiefs go ahead with closure plans.

The college wants to shut childcare facilities at many of its education centres, leaving students with young children fearing they may have to quit their courses.

The move is being blamed on cuts in adult education and too few children using the creche facilities.

It is understood that the closures could make up to 60 workers redundant, including centre managers and child carers.

The controversial plans are to reduce the nine creches at colleges throughout Bolton to just four centres. One remaining centre will be the Manchester Road site, with others to be decided.

It is proposed to increase childcare places at the remaining centres from 626 to 768 places.

Students fear that a reduction in the number of centres may force them to leave their courses midway through.

Jamie Birchall, aged 18, who has a 13-month-old daughter, Mollie, says she might be forced to quit her BTec health studies course at the Horwich Centre.

She said: "I attend college four days a week and cannot afford to pay childcare. I might have to stop going to college, which means I will have wasted two years doing this three year course."

Single parent Miss Rebecca Pierce of Tonge Moor said: "I am livid that this came at such short notice and we were all left in the dark about what's happening."

She said other parents were also "outraged".

One creche worker, who did not want to be named, said: "The announcement was completely out of the blue. No reason was given for this, we were just told it was going to happen.

"We have been told our positions will all be advertised and that we can reapply, but that there will be fewer vacancies."

She added: "I don't know what students will do who have children.

"Mums have told me in the past that they would not be able to attend lessons without the creche."

The college said that nothing had been decided, and the proposals would be put to the college's corporation, a board of governors, next month.

In a statement, Bolton Community College said: "There is a lot of spare capacity for childcare across the borough, whereas the occupancy rate across the year for the nine creche and nurseries provided by the college averages at only 31 per cent. Therefore it will be a most cost-effective use of public funds if there are fewer, better used college nurseries."

College chiefs said they had been working to provide childcare for all students with young children.

Principal Alison Bowes said: "It is proposed that the college will continue to subsidise childcare facilities on four sites. However, the college has been adversely affected by Government policy on funding for adults and a small reduction in Learner Support Fund, and needs to look carefully at the level of future subsidy it will be able to make."

"Full assistance by the college will be given to support students with finding alternative provision in the borough if required."