Empty Cannock chapel converted to become day nursery

A businessman is spending around £30,000 turning a former church into a new children's nursery.

Shaun Wigley, aged 44, has spent around three months converting the old St Michael's Church, in Littleworth Road, Cannock and hopes to open it next month, creating at least seven jobs.

Mr Wigley has spent most of his life in the gardening and building trades and thought a day nursery would be a good way to make use of the former palce of worship site which has been standing empty for years.

"It's not been occupied for three years.

"When we moved in it was a right mess, it was flooded," said Mr Wigley.

The entrepreneur has set up the new business with his girlfriend Claire Brindley.

The 33-year-old has spent several years working as a nursery nurse.

Mr Wigley said that he will be looking to start employing around seven members of staff in the coming weeks, ahead of the opening.

"I think there will be at least seven, but there might be more part-time jobs.

"Or we might employ some agency staff," said Mr Wigley.

The plan is to open the nursery sometime in June.

Mr Wigley is waiting for an Ofsted visit at the end of this month, when he hopes the inspectors will clear the the new business to open.

The couple want to get the nursery up and running by the end of next month.

People who would like to find out more about the jobs available should call in at the new site which will be called Little Potter's Nursery.

He added: "They can come up to the site, have a look around and there is a board on the wall with my phone number and email address."

The former St Michael's Church building was built on the site of the old village hall, in Littleworth Road, in the 1980s.