Staff and children at a nursery on the coast are facing an uncertain future after the business was abruptly shut down by its owners.
The House of Fun, on Longs Industrial Estate in Gorleston, was told to close with immediate effect on Wednesday (September 6) by Scottish company DK Acquisitions.
The timing could not have been worse - it was the first day of the new term and there were 16 children starting at the nursery.
A member of staff, who did not wish to be named, said: “It was quite heartless and they didn’t really care.
"They didn’t even know it was the first day of term."
Staff were told the reason for the closure was "financial".
It is understood that employees - some of whom have worked there for 20 years - have not been offered any support or redundancy packages.
Neither have parents been helped with finding alternative arrangements.
The nursery, which opened in 2003, employed more than 30 staff and had places for 184 children.
In May last year, it was bought by Glasgow-based company DK Acquisitions.
According to staff, however, the company has "never shown any interest in the nursery" and they have "seen them only once".
Papers published by Companies House show that three new directors were appointed to the House of Fun on May 26 last year. They were Kieran McKay, Declan Joyce and Ryan Waddell.
Despite DK Acquisition’s website declaring that "the most important things in business" are transparency and honesty, various attempts to contact the company have been unsuccessful.
Among the parents who were taking their children to the nursery on Wednesday (September 6), only to be met with news of the immediate closure, was Amy Green.
Her three-year-old son Reggie Wall was attending the nursery for his first day.
She was picking him up at midday when a woman from Scotland - who she had not seen before - gathered the parents in a room and told them the nursery was closing “with immediate effect”, she said.
“The doors were being locked and that was the end of it. We were not given any reasons as to why."
Ms Green, 30, said the closure was concerning and disappointing.
"When I took Reggie to other nurseries, I could tell he didn’t feel comfortable.
"When we went to House of Fun, he was comfortable," she said.
She said the closure has left families devastated and struggling to find suitable alternatives for their children's care and education.
Kirsty Flanagan's daughter, three-year-old Willow, had attended the nursery for the last two years.
"I'm just shocked," Ms Flanagan said. "I popped in yesterday as soon as I found out.
"The staff were crying. I couldn't believe it. They had only had an hour's notice before telling us."
Ms Flanagan is starting university next week and is now "frantically searching" for a new nursery for her daughter.
Ms Green has set up a petition to save the House of Fun - and as of Thursday afternoon, it had already received more than 300 signatures.
"Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, this cherished establishment has been closed down abruptly without any prior warning or explanation.
"It is crucial that we rally together as a community to demand the immediate reopening of our local nursery.
“Hopefully somebody will step in and buy it and reopen it as a nursery,” she said.
READ MORE: 'A tragic day' - Reaction to closure of Wilko in Great Yarmouth
After its most recent Ofsted inspection, in August 2021, the House of Fun was rated 'good'.
Inspectors said that children "settle quickly to play in the clean, safe and welcoming environment".
An additional Ofsted report, from March this year, reported that suitable steps were taken by management after a complaint had been made about safeguarding and welfare at the nursery.
On Thursday (September 7), some staff members were returning to the facility, possibly for the last time, to collect their belongings.
“We’re still in shock," said one woman who had worked there for 20 years.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here