I AM writing to lend my support and to protest about the proposals to eliminate a number of people from the Sure Start mother and toddler group at Oxford Grove.

Although this does not directly affect my child and me, because of our postcode, I find it totally unacceptable that approximately 96 per cent of the children who have been attending on a regular basis will not be allowed to attend.

Most of these families have connections with Oxford Grove and the Halliwell area through many generations. And a new generation will now find itself excluded from this area just because they have the wrong postcode or, in some cases, they live a few houses out of the designated area.

To give a further indication of how close-knit this group is, they also attend a toddler swim at the Jubilee Centre together, which is also open to all the Halliwell area. I can understand the ruling if the toddler group was oversubscribed and people from the Halliwell area needed places, but this is not the case and the group will be decimated if this ruling stands.

I am sure that this particular case can be looked at in depth and a solution can be found, so that these children who have grown up together over the last 18 months from being babies can continue to do so, possibly right through school.

Mrs Carol Harwood

(A Group member)

Sofa Street, Bolton