THE second busiest children’s centre in Southend looks set to close, despite an outcry from parents.

Officers plan to recommend Southend Council shuts Hamstel Children’s Centre, in Southchurch, to save about £60,000 even though 350 people signed a petition calling for it to be saved.

However Temple Sutton Children’s Centre will survive after 2,440 people signed a petition and 295 children from the Temple Sutton Primary School, which shares the same site in Eastern Avenue, wrote letters of support to the authority.

Caitlin Mander, co-chairman of a parents’ group campaigning to save Hamstel Children’s Centre, said: “It’s very unfair to the people of Southchurch.

“The location of Hamstel Children’s Centre is brilliant for the quite deprived areas of Southend, which have no other access to services and children’s centres.

“Taking it away will isolate a lot of people from a lot of services.”