AN after-school club with just two children is due to close.

But mum Mel Mills yesterday accused Kirklees Council of running down Chequers at the Deighton Centre and depriving local families of a vital service for the future..

Her son Jevaugn Johnson, eight, is one of only two children left at the after-school club.

The club was told to stop taking new children last September.

Ms Mills said: “They have whittled down the number of children by closing the list last September. Now there is only my son and one little girl left.”

Jevaugn has been going to Chequers from 2.45pm to 6pm each day since starting at Our Lady of Lourdes in Bradley three years ago.

Ms Mills said: “There used to be 15 children there.

“They used to do a lot of activities. They would go out into the field or downstairs into the gym in the Deighton Centre.

“They also did English and maths, they weren’t just playing all the time.”

The Thornton Lodge woman led a successful campaign to keep Tiddlywinks nursery at the Deighton Centre open in 2008.

She said: “I think ever since they tried to close Tiddlywinks they came back for the after-school club.

“All they seem to do is shove figures around saying they’re going to cut this and going to cut that.

“The Government wants people to get jobs in order to better themselves.

“How the hell can this be maintained if the foot soldiers – council officers – are depriving us of services we pay for?

“Areas of deprivation will never be able to strive if they keep making cuts where our children are concerned.”

A Kirklees spokesman said: “The Chequers out-of-school provision is severely under-used.

“This means it is heavily subsidised at a time when budgets are under huge pressure and we must seek value for money in all the services we offer.

“There are also alternative facilities in the area and, as a result, a decision was taken earlier this year – at a public meeting of the Cabinet – to close down Chequers at a date to be agreed.

“Councils have a duty to ensure there are enough out-of-school places to meet local demand and it was clear that this would not be compromised by closing Chequers.

“We are working with the affected family and trying to help them in accessing the other provision in the area”.