Parents gathered outside a Walsall school today to protest against plans to close a day nursery.

Pupils attending Shelfield Community Academy joined in with the protesters, grabbing placards and calling “Save Our Nursery” at the school gates.

Clive Bariana, aged 33, a general manager for a transport company, of Goscote Road, Pelsall, has 14-month-old daughter Phoebe Boo attending Rainbow nursery and is leading the protests. He said: “They say the school has known about this for a year but we only found out on November 16.”

His partner, Jody Hepworth, 27, an ambulance service call centre worker, said: “There must be about 200 kids who were standing on the side watching.”

The nursery will close in January due to the academy’s plans for redevelopment and a change in government funding rules.