STAFF at a pre-school in a village near York are appealing to parents to send their children there, warning it could face closure unless more youngsters attended.

Rufforth Pre-School, which feeds children to Rufforth Primary School, in Rufforth, west of York, is starting to feel the "financial pinch" caused by fewer youngsters.

The pre-school, which is a registered charity, has provided early learning to children across York for more than 30 years, and is seen as a crucial player in the sustainability of Rufforth itself.

Stephanie Warden, Rufforth Pre-School leader, said: "It would be a great shame for the local community if the pre-school was to close - it's one of the organisations in the village that make it work.

"The local primary school and pre-school are important in keeping Rufforth sustainable, and in keeping it going.

"The vibrancy of the village would hardly be encouraged if the pre-school shut its doors. We've already lost the post office, which we're hoping to get back."

Mrs Warden said the pre-school was also important because children got to know peers there that they would be going to Rufforth Primary School with for years to come.

She said if the pre-school closed, the survival of the village hall - where the pre-school is based - as a community venue would be threatened.

Mrs Warden said the hall would struggle to survive function without the rent provided by the pre-school.

She said: "There have always got to be at least two people employed for health and safety reasons, which doubles our overheads straightaway," she added.

Sarah Eastes, committee fundraiser for the pre-school, said that if it closed, an important social network in the village would be lost.

"From the parents' point of view, they organise outings for the children and themselves. If we can't keep the pre-school going, this community support network would be really missed," she said.

Mark McDermid, Rufforth Primary School head teacher, stressed the importance of the pre-school.

He said: "We have an excellent partnership with the pre-school, and I know it provides a very good early learning experience for children.

"It would be a real shame if it was to close, because it provides such excellent early years support and learning."