A work experience student from Stockport College informed the authorities after she became concerned at Thompson’s treatment of the children.

Thompson, who achieved "outstanding" Ofsted reports, admitted to four counts of common assault on children under the age of five, and said she could not pin-point specific incidents, but the evidence given all "sounded in-keeping with the kind of thing I would do".

The court was told that at the time, the nursery owner had been under considerable stress caused by running her business from home and had been receiving treatment for depression.

Chairman of the Stockport Magistrates bench Alf Clark took into account Thompson’s previous good character, the fact that she pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, and had shown genuine remorse and regret.

But he said the offences were particularly serious because she had carried out the assaults on four young and vulnerable victims both in public and in front of other children, and had abused her position of trust and authority.

Magistrates ruled that Thompson should serve a four month sentence - suspended for 12 months- and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

She was ordered to pay £60 prosecution costs and £150 compensation to each of the four young victims although, Alf Clark said the children and the families "could never be fully compensated" for what they had been through.

Speaking outside the court, one parent, who did not wish to be named, said: "I just feel completely numb. I don’t know if I’ll ever leave my children in a nursery again, I feel completely betrayed."

Another distressed parent said: "This should not have happened. People just turn a blind eye, why did it take a work experience student to say something and report this? It’s just not right that young children are treated in this way. It was going on for months and I think she had to be made an example of."

Thompson’s solicitor commented outside court that she was too upset to speak, but that she accepted the court’s sentence.