A despairing mother has pulled her daughter out of nursery, after the three-year-old was found wandering around a car park when she should have been in school.

Emma Greenbury fears her daughter Erin could have been run over by a car or abducted by a paedophile, after the child managed to leave Brambles Pre-school in Carshalton unsupervised.

The mother-of-two, who had come to collect the three-year-old after nursery had finished, was horrified to find her walking around near cars outside.

Ms Greenbury, 34, was running slightly late, meaning her daughter was the only child left on the premises before she escaped. She claims a member of staff wasn't fully concentraing, allowing Erin to get up from her seat and slip out the door.

She said: "(Erin) was let out when parents would have just turned up or would be driving home. She could have easily been run over, or she could have walked in a random direction and got lost. 

"She could have been picked up by a pervert, which is every mother's worst nightmare.

"I took her back to the school and called the manager, who was really distraught when I told her what happened.    

"The manager had been speaking to another parent at the time. Two other members of staff should have been watching Erin while the manager was busy."

At the end of the school day children at Brambles Pre-school in Alexandra Gardens are seated in a designated area until their parent or guardian arrives.

Erin was the only child remaining shortly after 1pm on November 18, so a member of staff moved her to a seat nearer the door.

The three-year-old then walked out into the car park without anyone noticing.

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The pre-school in Alexandra Gardens

After Erin's escape her mother lodged a complaint and had a meeting with two members of staff and a committee member on November 21.

Brambles Pre-school chairwoman Serena Stenning said: "Following the incident on the November 18, OFSTED were immediately notified by the pre-school manager and a meeting of the committee was called. 

"Security procedures have been reviewed and updated and the staff involved have been disciplined. 

"As the chair of the committee and a parent of a child within the school, I am satisfied that Brambles Pre-school has taken the necessary steps to ensure that this incident will never be repeated." 

Ms Greenbury, who lives with her family in Stanley Road, Carshalton, is now looking for a different nursery for her daughter to go to, and will not consider sending her 18 month old son to Brambles.

She said: "Going there was Erin's outlet, she absolutely loved it. Now she hasn't been able to do the nativity play and she doesn't get to see her friends.

"She is really devastated."