FUNDING for Worcestershire's nurseries is set top £3m in 2002, the Government has announced.

The cash has been stumped up to pay for free part-time places for three-year-olds throughout Worcestershire.

Across the county the total of funded nursery places will increase to 2,471.

"Since 1997 we've made great strides in early years provision," said Early Years and Schools Minister Catherine Ashton, who announced the cash bonus.

"There's now a free nursery place for every four-year-old in the country and I'm determined to meet our target of a free place for every three-year-old whose parents want one by September, 2004.

"Total spending on nursery education has already increased from £1bn in 1996-7 to £1.6bn in 2000-1.

"As a result of today's announcement, that rises to almost £2bn in 2002-3.

"I'm delighted that we're now close to achieving our aim of providing all children with a firm foundation for success in later learning."

The cash is part of the 2000 Comprehensive Spending Review settlement aimed at providing a total of £328m funding for early years' education places for three-year-olds by 2003.

Each free place consists of five sessions of early education per week, for 11 weeks per term for three terms.

"This amount of money certainly wasn't expected," said Alison Hitchins, head of early years and childcare services at Worcestershire County Council.

"This is really good news and it's going to give us about 800 more places than we thought we would have for next year. There will be 2,471.

"It will mean that we will have probably about 70 per cent of our three-year-olds able to access nursery education."

Meanwhile, Worcestershire will receive £112,265 to improve security in county schools, while Herefordshire will get £38,317.

The new funding comes from the Capital Modernisation Fund, and the Government hopes LEAs will be encouraged to consider innovative solutions as well as traditional measure such as fencing and CCTV to reduce incidents of vandalism, theft, arson or attack.