A LONG-established Darlington playgroup is being forced to close due to lack of numbers.

Tots from the Northland playgroup, based in the Methodist church in North Road, are having a teddy bears' picnic to mark the last day next Thursday.

A small number of volunteers have run the group for more than 20 years, most of them getting involved after sending their own children there.

But fewer children are now attending because nursery schools are accepting youngsters earlier.

Beverly Henry, a volunteer for nine years, said: "There are so many children going to nursery earlier that the four play groups up here are struggling.

"We've agreed to close so that the others can keep going."

The Northland group, which meets five mornings a week, had more than 30 children on its books last year, but would only have had five from next September.

Beverly said: "The nurseries are now taking three-year-olds, where before they started at four.