A LONG-awaited nursery is now flourishing near the orchards of Upton-upon-Severn.

Little Blossoms Nursery is finally up and running thanks to the hard work of fruit farm owners Charlie and Jane Clive.

The couple had suffered a few teething problems and the official opening was delayed while responsibility for accrediting nurseries was passed from Worcestershire County Council to the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

"It was no fault of the inspectors, they were brilliant. It's just frustrating because we had everything ready and then we lost out on nine bookings because parents had to make alternative arrangements," said Mrs Clive.

Heather Mytton-Fanneh, divisional manager of West Midlands Ofsted Early Years, confirmed that Little Blossoms was one of the first nurseries inspected when they took responsibility from local authorities.

"Ofsted inspected the building on September, 25 and really pulled out all the stops to get the application through," she said.

The county council was previously unable to inspect the building, as building work was still going on.