Parents have slammed Glasgow City Council for withdrawing funding from a nursery.

Happy Days Nursery, in Maryhill, had been partnered with the council for nine years before the local authority removed its support. But staff say it still meets its standards.

The decision leaves 17 families struggling to pay an average of an extra £110 a month in fees. Parents have launched a bid to try and overturn the council decision. Mum Anne Hughes, 35, said: “I would not put my children at this nursery if I didn’t think the standard of care was high.”

Happy Days has nine years of good Care Commission reports. But following a visit by the commission in March, the centre was marked down in two crucial areas.

Bosses immediately worked to fix the problems. At a second visit by inspectors in June they were able to show the issues had been resolved and the nursery was given permission to expand. But council chiefs only took into account the report from March and refused partnership status.

Janet Darcy, child care services manager, and manager Jacqueline Hancock were shocked at the decision.

Jacqueline said: “We knew we had this report from the Care Commission but when we spoke to the council they said not to worry as they would look at the past 10 years of good reports. We were shocked when they withdrew our partnership status.”

Happy Days is a not-for-profit nursery in Maryhill Community Central Hall. Local MSP Patricia Ferguson is backing its bid for partnership status. Ms Ferguson said: “Happy Days is a nursery that people regard very highly. It is very much part of the community.”

Dad Graeme Campbell, 25, said: “We have contacted the council and all they will say to us is that we move our children to another nursery. Yes, there are other nurseries but we don’t want to move our children when they have been here since they were babies.”

A council spokesman said: “At the time the nursery partnership contracts were up for renewal Happy Days fell short of quality standards.

“We have since received no further information from the regulators to contradict the original report. We will consider fresh reports once they are published.”