TWO nursery workers have been accused of forcibly dragging children in their care about and locking them inside cupboards.

Nicola Jeffrey, who is 22, and 34-year-old Teresa Renton are charged with behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person fear and alarm on various occasions between January 1, 2015, and August 1, 2016.

The offence is alleged to have been committed at Little Reivers Nursery in Duns, Berwickshire, which has since closed.

They both pleaded not guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court to a charge of shouting, forcibly dragging children about and lifting them off the floor by the arm, locking children inside cupboards and refusing to let them out when they became disorientated, as well as making offensive and abusive comments towards and about young children.

The charge also relates to behaving in an aggressive, threatening and abusive manner towards young children in their care.

Jeffrey is further alleged to have seized hold of the arm of an injured child who was receiving treatment from a colleague and it was later ascertained the arm had sustained two fractures.

Jeffrey is also said to have changed the nappy of a child in a public place on a concrete floor without using any mat.

Renton of Ainslie Terrace and Jeffrey of Rachel Drive, both Duns, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

A trial date has been set for October 16 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court with an intermediate hearing on September 18.