MORE than 15,000 people and most of the county’s MPs have called for plans to close 37 children’s centres to be scrapped.

Parents handed over a petition to Oxfordshire County Council’s leader Ian Hudspeth at County Hall yesterday as protesters gathered outside the building.

The move comes after it was revealed that 37 of Oxfordshire’s 44 children’s centres could be shut as part of major budget cuts facing the county.

Mr Hudspeth said: “I would like to assure people that I am listening carefully to these views – that was the point of consulting residents in the first place. I would also like to say that the county council absolutely recognises the important work of children’s centres and their value to many families.

“We are going to go round all the centres and see how they operate.”

Three Facebook groups were set up protesting at the potential closures – Save Oxfordshire’s Children’s Centres, Save Our Children’s Centres, Oxfordshire and Chipping Norton’s campaign Save the Ace Centre.

Mum-of-one Emma Taylor, 38, from Henley, who launched the Save Oxfordshire’s Children’s Centres campaign, said: “Oxfordshire County Council should prioritise families, children and vulnerable people.”

Abingdon mum of one Ellie Cripps, 30, said: “The centres are really important for the advice and help you get.”

Headington resident Gez Hayes, 39, father of two-year-old James, said: “The centres have been a lifeline to me. It can be quite lonely looking after a child and the centres have given me an interaction with other parents.”

Emma Duke, 32, from Cowley, who has a seven-month daughter Isla, said: “I used the breast-feeding service and the weaning service. Cutting centres is a short-term view.”

Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron said: “I shall continue to follow the consultation process closely and I will do what I can to support my constituents in their efforts to keep our children’s centres open.”

MP for Oxford West and Abingdon Nicola Blackwood said: “The vital work of our local children’s centres simply cannot be overstated and I am bitterly disappointed by the county council’s draft proposals for closures.”

Andrew Smith MP for Oxford East agreed. He said: “I fully support the groundswell of local public opinion against the closure of children’s centres, and have taken up constituents’ concerns with the county council.”

Banbury MP Sir Tony Baldry said: “The county council hasn’t as yet made any proposals concerning children’s centres or anything else and I think we all recognise the contribution that children’s centres can make to the early years intervention policies.”

MP for Henley John Howell said: “The council is right to stress the importance of every centre making a real contribution to the county in the delivery of early years intervention. However, it needs urgently to rethink the potential closures of the children’s centres and keep them open.”

Melinda Tilley, Oxfordshire County cabinet member for children, education and families, said: “We never intended to close that many. That’s the worst-case scenario.”

The county council said that centres could face closure as part of their efforts to cut £61m from its budget, on top of savings of £201m already made or committed to up to 2017.

The cabinet’s budget proposals will be published next week.