A MUCH-LOVED pre school is closing down after nearly 50 years.

Staff at Jack and Jill Pre School, in Prittlewell, have said they and parents are heartbroken over the decision but have no other choice.

Barbara Wilkins, owner, said she could no longer run the group as it was not making any money.

Mrs Wilkins, who was awarded the British Empire Medal for her work with children in 2016, said: “We don’t make any money.

“We just have to close because we can’t keep financing it for so long.

“It’s so sad.

“We are broken hearted and so are the parents.”

Jack and Jill Pre School, at St Mary’s Church Guild Hall, in Hill Road, opened in 1971 and operates from Monday to Friday during term time.

It currently looks after 25 children and the closure will also make three members of staff redundant.

In its latest Ofsted inspection, inspectors rated the pre school as “good” and praised it for its “well trained” staff and said its partnership with parents was one of its main strengths.

Mrs Wilkins, who herself has not taken a wage for years, said she had sought other options to keep the pre-school running but none had come to fruition.

She said: “We did try and sell it a few years ago but the people who were interested asked for accounts and of course we don’t make money so it stopped there.

“We also sought to open holiday clubs to get more people interested and to make more money but the owners of the hall said no.

“It is a sad story.

“This is classed as a deprived area.

“We offer French lessons and today we have a dentist in to check the children’s teeth. We do our absolute best for them.

“People seem to think we make a lot of money through the church. But we don’t.

“Everyone is just so upset.”

All members of staff will be made redundant, with the 25 children having to find new places elsewhere.

Jack and Jill Pre School will close at the end of the term.