Frustrated parents have hit out at 'delays' of refunds from a Chadderton nursery that closed suddenly, claiming an unverified 'gun incident'.

Tiddlywinks Nursery School closed on October 11, with a letter to parents who were left 'shocked and confused'.

The nursery claimed in the letter that they had decided to close after staff members were 'held at gunpoint'. 

However, Oldham Council said claims of a firearms incident at the childcare setting were 'untrue' while Greater Manchester Police had no record of the incident.

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Parents have now claimed that their refunds have been delayed with one woman taking to social media on Monday (October 28) to ask if anyone else had had the same problem. 

She said: "Have any parents whose child attended Tiddlywinks nursery actually managed to get their refunds yet?

"I was assured mine would be done last Friday - yet I’m still waiting."

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Comments soon came in with multiple parents claiming the same. 

Two parents also alleged that they had received incorrect invoices as well as delayed payment, with one stating the amount was wrong on theirs and another claiming they also had an erroneous amount with the wrong bank details included on theirs.

The woman who originally posted the concerns added that she had received her refund on Tuesday, October 29 but had said the experience of the closure and the refunds was 'appalling'. 

Another woman said that she was now struggling to enrol her child at another nursery, she said: "Seems impossible now to get full-time care for my child- pretty impossible to go to work.

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"What a joke. Most nurseries only have a few days available."

When the closure was announced, parents were left in 'disbelief' at the situation, with one father claiming he had only found out from a post online after only just having paid his fees. 

One mother said at the time: “This whole thing is an absolute nightmare. I was in disbelief.

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"I couldn’t quite process what he was telling me and how it had happened so abruptly with no warning.

"The letter made me feel very confused as it doesn’t really make much sense.

"We’ve managed childcare between us today, but for next week and the future we have nothing confirmed."

The Oldham Times has contacted Tiddlywinks Nursery School for comment but did not receive a response.

Please note Tiddlywinks Nursery School is entirely separate to Tiddlywinks Nursery Group which operates childcare in Ancoats, Blackley, Bury, Clayton, Crumpsall, Higher Blackley, and Walmersley