WHEN mum Kate Jones tried to return to work after giving birth, she hit stumbling block after stumbling block.

Looking for a job which fitted in with her responsibilities as a mother was one problem - but finding suitable and affordable childcare for son Harrison at the same time proved too much.

Fed up with the available options, Mrs Jones, 34, from Bowes, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, decided to set up in the nursery business herself.

She ditched her usual customer relations management role and now spends her days with children in her Yellow Wellies nursery in the Crossgate Centre, Durham.

Business is booming, she has expanded the nursery to 29 places and finds her new job very rewarding.

Now, more than six months after she took over, Mrs Jones is looking to expand and open a chain of nurseries. She plans to open two further nurseries in the North-East to give her business more stability.

She said: "When I got a job after having Harrison, I looked around and found a nearby day nursery.

"I was doing 650 miles a week, had one hour a day with my baby and pre-tax childcare costs of £10,000 a year; this began to seem crazy.

"I am now able to work on average two or three days a week, and Harrison comes to work with me.

"My hours are flexible, the job is challenging and fulfilling in ways that surpass my original expectations, and I am able to pass those family-friendly requirements to my team.

"I could not be happier, but surely I shouldn't have to have gone this far."

Mrs Jones is looking at possible sites to expand, but hasn't decided where in the North-East as yet.