Children's centres feared under threat from Surrey County Council cuts have already been earmarked for closure by Elmbridge Council, a meeting has heard.

Earlier in the year it transpired the Oxshott and Claygate children's centres, currently run by Sure Start, could close as the county council looks to make savings of £2.7m.

But at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, March 18, councillors discussed Elmbridge Council-run children's centres and Councillor Christine Elmer, portfolio holder for social affairs, said they had been working to improve the centres since they recieved an 'inadequate' status from Ofsted report in July.

She said the task had proved too great.

She said: "We were extremely sad in January this year when we were told by Surrey County Council that they were going to sadly close two of our centres.

"We'd already made the decision to close them in our own way because we did not feel we could meet the Ofsted requirement to get them from inadequate to the next stage of the journey."

Councillor Dorothy Mitchell, representing Cobham and Downside, said how sad it was children's services throughout the country were under-funded.

She said: "I think we as an authority need to ensure that Surrey are going to face up to the fact that these mothers and these children will have to now travel."

Both centres are for children up to five years old and have been running for six years.

The county council is undertaking a consultation which will run into the summer. The centres could close as early as September 1.