A former nursery director has admitted bribing two workers to back up her lies to Ofsted over how many staff were on duty when three children escaped from the grounds and got onto a road.

Elaine McManus, 66, who was the manager and director of Stepping Stones nursery in Haverhill, paid the two nursery workers £100 each after they signed a false statement about how many staff were working on the day of the incident, Suffolk Magistrates' Court heard.

Katherine Emms, prosecuting, said that on March 30, 2021, under the supervision of an 18-year-old nursery worker, three children were able to leave the playground unattended and were found in the road by a member of the public.

McManus, who is a Haverhill town and West Suffolk district councillor, should have reported the incident to Ofsted, but it was instead reported by the member of the public who had found the children.

Ms Emms told the court that there should have been another member of staff on duty and when confronted, McManus told Ofsted inspectors that there had been.

She then wrote a statement saying that two members of staff had been on duty that day, and altered official records.

McManus then got both staff members to sign the false statement and tell inspectors "an untrue version of events", Ms Emms said.

Both staff members were then paid £100 each straight into their bank accounts as a reward, the court heard.

On April 16, McManus phoned the access lead officer for Suffolk County Council and explained what had happened.

She admitted that she hadn't told the truth and had panicked and paid £100 each to the two staff members.

McManus stepped down from her role, and the nursery was closed down by Ofsted, the court heard.

In police interview, McManus made full admissions about what happened but said "she never thought of it as a bribe", Ms Emms told magistrates.

The court heard that McManus, of Gurlings Close, Haverhill, had no previous convictions.

On Friday, she pleaded guilty to two charges of giving financial advantage to induce improper performance of a relevant function or activity.

Magistrates ordered an all-options pre-sentence report and granted McManus unconditional bail ahead of her sentencing.

She is due to appear back at Suffolk Magistrates' Court on August 12.

John Griffiths, leader of West Suffolk Council and the West Suffolk Conservatives, confirmed that McManus has been suspended from the group with immediate effect.

A spokesman for West Suffolk Council said: “In cases such as this the council has to follow the law and await sentencing before any consideration can be made regarding disqualifying a councillor.

“Section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972 provides that a person shall be disqualified for being elected or being a member of a local authority in England if he or she has within five years before the day of election or since his or her election been convicted in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man of any offence and has had passed on him or her a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months without the option of a fine.

“This means in practice the council has to wait for the outcome of the sentencing hearing due to take place on August 12, 2022."