Telford children's play centre boss 'devastated' over Ofsted closing down Halloween workshop 'for no reason'

Youngsters were happily making Halloween gift bags at My Little Play Place in St Georges, Telford when inspectors arrived on Monday morning to shut the event down.

Ofsted, which has come under fire over the “heavy-handed” nature of how some of its inspections are carried out since a school headteacher took her own life, is understood to have been tipped off by a local business that the play centre was holding an unregulated event.

However, My Little Play Place owner Alice Horne and Jess Rodgers, of Aspire Dance Company, who was running the workshop at the St Georges venue, say they checked with the regulator beforehand and were given the go-ahead.

Their pleas fell on deaf ears and inspectors called a halt to the event, leaving children let down, parents confused and Alice and Jess counting the cost.

Alice, who says she has lodged a formal complaint over how the inspection was carried out, told the Shropshire Star: “They came with a loaded gun. They didn’t want to check our safeguarding, booking system, insurance, how we communicate with parents, anything.

“I explained that we’d spoken to Ofsted on the phone and they’d given us the go-ahead, but they said their calls aren’t recorded and made us ring every single parent.

“The arts and crafts were already happening. The children were making Halloween gift bags.