A COUNCIL came under fire last night for agreeing to close five day centres for elderly and disabled people.

Janet Newham, who is the sole carer for her husband Keith, said that Durham County Council’s plan to relocate the day care service in Spennymoor , at the town’s leisure centre, poses numerous problems including access and security.

The council’s cabinet agreed yesterday to close five of its day care centres to save £446,000 a year and relocate the services to nearby leisure centres.

The five centres are: Spennymoor Day Centre; The Oaks Centre, in Newton Aycliffe ; The Shinwell Centre, in Peterlee ; Stanley Day Centre, and The Durham Centre, at Aykley Heads, in Durham City.

The cabinet heard the centres are all outdated and were built in isolated places, whereas new Government guidelines say people with all forms of disabilities should be more included in the community.

Rachael Shimmin, director of children’s and adults services, said that there had been a 25 per cent drop in the number of people using the services over the past two years and that some of the centres are only used to 50 per cent capacity.

About 455 people, including those with physical and learning disabilities, will be affected by the moves including Mrs Newham’s husband, who has been using the Spennymoor centre for three days a week for the past 12 years.

He suffered a serious head injury which left him with no short term memory and she said he enjoys his time at the centre while it offers her a valuable few hours away from her caring duties.

She said: “I know he is happy there and safe, but the leisure centre is a public building with lots of entrances which are not secure.

“I cannot relax while he is there.”

Wheelchair user Tommy Briggs has used the centre since 1978 and said he was disappointed by the news.

He said fewer people were using the centre because of a rise in transports costs and said the leisure centre toilets were too small – as is the space the disabled users would have, adding: “I know several people who will find going to the new centre causes too much harm and hassle so they will simply stop going out.