By Graeme Cleland

THE closure of a financially troubled Dundee nursery took a new twist last night after it emerged it may reopen under a different name next week.

The Every Child Nursery in Panmurefield village was unable to open yesterday after staff walked out on Friday when they failed to receive their wages.

It was the latest blow to workers after around six months of problems with their pay.

The Lawers Drive nursery had to turn away children yesterday when only a handful of staff turned up, leaving parents in the dark as to when, or if, it would be open again.

The Courier has tried to contact owner and director Steve Pape since Friday without success.

Yesterday he and his partner Olivia McDowell turned up at the nursery but refused to comment on the situation.

It is understood representatives from the Care Commission also visited the nursery yesterday to meet the owners.

A spokesman for the Care Commission said a comment was not available before press time.

However, Olivia McDowell contacted parents last night to inform them the nursery had ceased trading as Every Child Nursery Ltd and she had applied to reopen it under the name Everychild Daycare Ltd.

The Care Commission has apparently accepted the move subject to proper assurances being put in place, and Ms McDowell asked parents for “patience and forbearance” while this happened.

While the nursery will remain closed for the rest of this week, Ms McDowell told parents she hoped it would be open again with a full complement of staff next Monday.

Before this development, a number of parents last night told The Courier they sympathised with the plight of staff and condemned the nursery owners’ treatment of them.

“They (the nursery owners) are not speaking to anybody about what is happening,” said Kate Ritchie from Kingennie, whose four-year-old daughter Jessica attended the nursery.

Mrs Ritchie and her husband have paid over £600 of fees in advance, and were surprised to find the nursery closed yesterday with no warning or explanation.

“We were told someone would call regarding arrangements for the rest of the week, but that has not happened.

“I will be leaving the house at 6am to fly to London on business and I won’t know what my daughter will be doing.

“If the nursery is not open my husband will have to stay off his work to look after her.” She added, “The staff have shown loyalty way beyond what could be expected of them and that is down to their devotion to the children.”

Another parent with a child at the nursery—who did not wish to be named—also backed the workers’ fight for their cash.

“The staff have been incredible over the past few months,” she said.

“I have a young daughter who was one of the first through the door when the nursery opened and I’ve been very happy with the care she has had since then.

“I am loath to move my children from the nursery because the people working there are so good.

“However, for anyone trying to work and maybe raise a family at the same time the cost of not having their income paid in full is terrible, and it’s unacceptable for the owners to do this to them.”

She continued, “I am a single parent, and if I can’t find my child another nursery I can’t go to work...

“You would think they (the nursery owners) would have the decency to let you know what was going on. There wasn’t even a notice put up or anything.”

Last month HM Revenue and Customs made the nursery the subject of a bid for insolvency over an unpaid tax bill.

Then, Mr Pape denied the business was about to be wound up or that it was shouldering debts.

He attributed financial problems at the nursery to changing its bankers.

However, a source close to the nursery has claimed the manager of the establishment recently offered to buy it from Mr Pape but he refused to sell.

“There are lots of interested parties as it’s a good business, with great staff and facilities,” added the source.

The nursery is believed to have had a seven-figure investment made in it over the last 21/2 years.

There has been a new extension to the premises featuring a larger play area and new staff room recently unveiled.