A NEW after-school club for children opened in Lyneham earlier this month to help take the pressure off working parents with busy schedules.

The club's organisers pick up children who have booked into the club from the village's infants' and primary schools in a bus at 3.30pm and take them to the village hall.

The children are given tea and there are plenty of fun activities, including table football and a Playstation games console to keep them entertained until their mums and dads pick them up at 6pm.

Organiser Alison Humphries, 32, said: "I thought of the idea because I was working full-time.

"Like many busy mothers I just couldn't get childcare for my three children."

Mrs Humphries runs the club with Sharon Upson, 28, and said she was delighted with the reaction of children and parents.

She said the most popular activity for the girls is the club's Karaoke machine, which plays popular hits, such as Will Young's Evergreen and songs by S Club Seven.

Mrs Humphries, a cleaner at RAF Lyneham, said the club was given £11,000 to fund the venture from the New Opportunities Grant.

The funds enabled the group to install hot water thermostats and heating in the hall's toilets to make it a suitable location for the club to meet.

"It's going really well and we've had plenty of positive feedback from the parents," Mrs Humphries said.

The club held an open day at the end of last month.

It was attended by more than 20 children with their parents.

An Ofsted inspector also came to see the new club and inspect the facilities on offer.

Mrs Humphries said he was particularly impressed with the range of activities on offer.