You're already running late.

You drop your child off at nursery for them to decide that this morning, of all mornings, they'd really rather not be there.

After doing your best to reassure them, you leave with the image of your trembling-lipped child etched in your mind, ready to strike guilt deep into your heart at any moment.

You know they love nursery, you know they'll be fine, but what if you could just double-check?

At one Billericay nursery you can.

Barleylands Day Nursery in Southend Road offer parents a webcam service.

The nursery, which opened in September, has been wired up with all the latest technology and parents can log onto the internet and see what their children are up to.

It's all closely monitored and strict systems are in place to ensure it is only those parents that get the privilege.

"Parents are given an encrypted password and can only log on during days and times their children are here," explains nursery co-owner Andrew Stern.

"Only one person can log on with that password at any one time and for a limited period of time.

"Without doubt it's not a case of Big Brother," he insists. "The only people who can look at it are the parents of the children."

Andrew came up with the idea for the webcam, which he says cost thousands, while discussing an ideal nursery with fellow owner Tina Lassman.

"We were talking about what we would like in a nursery in an ideal world," he explains.

"Somewhere we would like our own children to go. One of the things was to be able to see how our children are being catered for, to watch their progression and make sure they are safe. So that was the idea behind the webcam," he says.

The nursery, which takes children from six months upwards, has a camera in every room, except the toilet.

There is no sound and parents can only view the rooms their child uses. Andrew and Tina believe theirs is the only nursery in Billericay and the surrounding area to offer the service.

"Certainly at the beginning a lot of parents were worried they'd be stuck in front of the screen all day," says Andrew. "But they aren't.

Initially I think it gives them total piece of mind.

They know their child is safe and secure and having fun.

"We do get people saying don't your staff mind working under that sort of scrutiny? Fortunately none of them did. In fact they were quite excited by it. When you've got the quality of staff that we have they certainly don't mind.

"Everything we've got here, we like to show off," he smiles.

For officer in charge Rachael Robinson it has caught her out, but for entirely different reasons.

"I forget the cameras are there all the time," she says. "Parents have come in and said I saw you dancing today and I'm like oh no," she smiles. "I think the cameras are a good idea. If you're good at your job and you do it properly I don't think it's a problem at all."

Andrew says rather than being used as an opportunity to check on staff, the cameras offer that extra peace of mind for parents leaving their child for the first time.

"Quite often parents find it more difficult to leave a child, especially a baby," explains Andrew.

"Some parents do get emotional, and understandably so, and this is something that can help them. After they leave, when they get home or when they go to work, they can check up and quite often this puts their mind at rest."

For Eddy Barlow, of Froden Brook, Great Burstead, the system has been a big help in easing his son Joshua, two, into nursery. The morning we spoke to him he'd logged on three times and seen his son enjoying a game of football in the garden.

"Initially when I heard about the webcams I was a bit dubious, but it has actually been a big help," he says. "Both my partner and I work part time and with Joshua just starting here it has been a really good comforter to go home and have a quick look he's ok."

Karin Pamfili's son Giovanni, two, has been attending the nursery since it opened in September. "That first week I checked every five minutes," smiles Karin of Rose Lane, Billericay. "I do think it's a good idea. It was one of the reasons I brought him here, but not the most important one."