THEY were once thriving, offering an inexpensive place for mums to meet and toddlers the opportunity to develop their play and learning skills.

But this autumn, for the first time in many years, there is not a single voluntary playgroup in Skipton.

Three years ago there were five and not long before that there were seven co-existing, but the folding of the St Andrew's Playgroup over the summer means private or state nurseries now provide the only source of child care in Skipton.

As well as St Andrew's, playgroups at Water Street School, Otley Street, Skipton Baptist Church and Trinity Methodist have disbanded.

Playgroups were run by committees and volunteers from local mothers and offered a place for children between the ages of two-and-a-half and four to meet and react with other children for sessions, typically of two hours on a morning or afternoon.

Now, only private or state run day care nurseries are available to parents of pre-school children in Skipton.

St Andrew's had a waiting list of children when it collapsed.

The demise of playgroups in the town is put down to two main factors - the scarcity of volunteers and the legislation which has sprung up making setting up and running a playgroup much more difficult.

To be a qualified playgroup leader requires completing a course of two years.

If a mum with a child aged two- and-a-half - the age when children start playgroup - starts the course, she will complete it when the child is over four and ready to move to primary school.

It is also difficult to recruit staff who have a childcare qualification.

The job is invariably part time and thus unattractive to most students who are looking for a full time role.

Half of those working in a playgroup have to have suitable qualifications.

Another factor has been the difficulty in recruits coming forward to take on the workload.

Many women are working and unavailable to take part in the organisation and running of a playgroup.