Concerns have been raised about the safety of nursery workers after the government announced England was heading for a third national lockdown.

Schools and universities will close but nurseries and pre-schools will remain open, according to Boris Johnson's latest statement. 

Now tonight a Basingstoke nursery worker has revealed the "anxiety" they feel at being placed on the front line as other parts of the education industry shut. 

The employee said they and colleagues feel "forgotten about" and "degraded" over the government's ruling. 

It comes just hours after the Early Years Alliance wrote to the education secretary to demand answers over why the sector was excluded over discussions on school closures.

Mr Johnson said today that schools may "act as vectors for transmission, causing the virus to spread between households", although added children themselves were at low risk.

The nursery worker, based in Basingstoke, said if schools were closed, they believed nurseries should be shut too.

They told The Gazette: "I work in early years and I am disgusted and upset that schools will be closed but early years will remain open.

"What is the difference between a four-year-old at school and a four-year-old at preschool?

"We get sneezed on and coughed on, we are not allowed to wear masks because of the children. 

They continued: "We feel after this we are not cared about. People forget that we are mums too. We have to go home to our families and we end up putting them at risk. 

"We are no different than teachers in school - in fact, we have more contact with personal care. We feel so degraded and upset."

They added: "Our anxiety levels are so high. I think the government just sees us as people who look after children but we are so much more." 

The Early Years Alliance wrote to education secretary Gavin Williamson and children and families minister Vicky Ford criticising the omission of the early years sector from discussions around whether or not it is safe for education providers to remain open in light of rising Covid-19 rates.

Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch, said: “If the government is this concerned about the spread of the virus in primary schools, it must provide clear, scientific evidence for why the early years should be treated differently. If it cannot provide this vital reassurance, then it surely has no choice but take the necessary decision to close early years settings and provide the financial support providers will need to remain viable during such temporary closures.

“Those working in the early years are understandably extremely anxious about the safety and wellbeing of themselves, their colleagues, their families and the children they care for, but have sadly been made to feel that their safety simply does not matter.”