An MP was invited down to officially open the doors to a new nursery.

Just before the second lockdown began, Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers was able to attend Bright Little Stars grand opening.

Despite facing unprecedented challenges during the coronavirus pandemic, staff have worked "tirelessly" to ensure the nursery opened, which becomes Bright Little Stars' largest.

The private nursery, is in Leicester Road, near High Barnet station, and will create 30 new jobs.

Nursery manager Bernadette Mealy said: "Having been a local Barnet resident for so many years, we are incredibly excited to be in a position to offer outstanding care and education to the local community. Our focus is to ensure that all our children fulfil their potential by providing a strong foundation."

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Chief executive Amol Devani added: "This has been an extremely challenging year however I am proud of the Bright Little Stars team who have worked tirelessly to open our largest nursery to date.

"It is situated very close to High Barnet station and provides the highest quality nursery places to the local community."

The gated nursery includes four modern learning rooms, each specifically tailored to different age groups, which also feature direct access to their own outdoor sheltered areas.

There are also outdoor gardens and a playground activity centre.