CITY leaders were accused by parents of children attending closure-threatened Sure Start centres of discriminating against supposedly more affluent areas of Liverpool.

At last night’s meeting of the full council they said it was unfair three of the four children’s centres facing closure were in the south end of the city.

They argued that it was unfair that in north Liverpool there were six centres within a three mile radius which – under current plans – were to be left untouched.

And those campaigning on behalf of south Liverpool Sure Starts were joined in their claims by parents from West Derby whose own centre is also set for closure.

They insisted that the facilities were invaluable to communities regardless of how wealthy they supposedly were.

City leaders stressed that they were listening and that the offer to meet with parents of children at centres facing the axe were on the table to try to find ways of avoiding the cuts.

Cath McCarron, a parent at the Church and Mossley Hill centre, said: “During consultations many parents have broken down when they have given their stories about what the centres have done for them.

“There are six children’s centres within a three-mile radius in the north of the city. Why close ours and leave a huge void in the south of the city?

“Why not have a full service review of all the centres?

“We are not a priority area for grants. We understand that cuts have to be made but surely the council could drive and innovate to help us save the centres from closure.”

Brandon Jackson, whose two sons attend the West Derby centre, added: “We ask you consider all options to avoid the closure of our centre, like staying open but sharing management staff across them all.

“That could save in excess of £150,000. We plead with you to find ways to ensure that every child really does matter.”

The three south end Sure Starts facing closure are Church and Mossley Hill, Allerton and Hunts Cross and Childwall.

Lib-Dem deputy leader Cllr Richard Kemp said they provided services to parents whose problems could not be decided on economic lines.

Cllr Kemp added: “Every child matters regardless of whether it lives in L8 or L18.

“Every parent matters. There are things that people in L18 are as likely to be affected by, such as postnatal depression, as people in deprived areas.”

He added that the majority of users at the Church and Mossley Hill centre came from the Greenbank ward, which was considered more deprived.

Council leader Cllr Joe Anderson said he had extended the period in which parents and staff could offer ideas for saving the centres by six months.

But parents said the staff at the centres were child-care professionals, not business people.

Cllr Anderson added: “We got Liverpool Vision to go in and talk to the managers of the centres to try to come up with a business plan.

“It’s not as if all centres are not making savings, they are, but what we said was ‘if you can come back to us looking at federation, or closing down on certain days.

“’If you come back to us with proposals we will listen and look at that’.

“I genuinely extended that period and we did that because I wanted to find a solution as to how we can save them.

“This was a national Labour Party initiative that’s very dear to my heart and other people’s hearts.

“I agree there will be families and children who suffer as a direct result if these centres go.

“That’s a weight I will have to bear on my shoulders.

“I will come and meet with you and see if we can find a way to save them.”