A nursery which has helped dozens of young mothers to get back into education faces closure in the £28m redevelopment of Witney's college campus.

The Abacus children's day care centre, which opened nine years ago, has been told there is no room for it in the project and it must leave its premises next July.

At present there are 100 children registered with Abacus, a quarter of them belonging to college students and some to staff members. It is run by partners Olivia Hill and Claire Taylor.

Ms Hill said: "I feel very disappointed that the college seems to have overlooked the valuable support that childcare offers to parents who wish to return to education and for the young parents who want to continue their education."

Sue Webb, Abingdon & Witney College's development project director, said there was simply no space in the new campus for a nursery.

She added. "I have told Abacus that I will help in any way I can to find them alternative accommodation.

"The redevelopment only allows us a small bit of extra space, but our student numbers are growing and they are our prioirty. To cater for Abacus would mean finding 350sq m on site, equivalent to losing 10 classrooms."

The college's Abingdon campus has a subsidised nursery for students and staff.