A WOMAN who has provided an estimated 1.5 million hours of childcare over almost a quarter of a century in Easingwold is retiring.

Judith Tubb, who started the town's first full-time nursery school in 1991, is now handing over the keys to one of her loyal staff members.

Judith said she was a newly qualified teacher when she placed an advert asking if local parents wanted full-time care for their under fives.

The resulting stream of inquiries led to her setting up Westfield Day Nursery in Raskelf Road and the business has flourished ever since, never being rated less than 'Good' by Ofsted.

It has also appeared in national childcare publications and won a Government agency award for the best nursery and school website in the country.

"I have really enjoyed it," she said. "I wanted to provide quality child care with quality staff and toys, to meet a need in the town.

"The work has changed a great deal over the years. There's a lot more rules and regulations now, more inspections and more advisers down from county hall, and more training both for me and the staff.

"That has been a good thing but I think that now I'm 50 it's time to retire."

Judith said that when she locks the door for the last time today, she will hand the keys to Emma Elsworth, who will re-open it asTwinkle Twinkle Day Nursery in the same building at 8am on Monday.

Emma, 30, a mother of three, has worked at Westfield for the past 11 years, gaining her NVQ Level 4 in early years childcare.

She is fully registered with Ofsted and will be working with the same team - Kate Stockton, Lisa Rhodes, Sue Ash and Tracy Didlick and Tracy Langford - who have been at Westfield for a combined total of nearly 50 years.