TORFAEN Council has been accused of 'hushing up' its decision to move day centre visitors out of Ty Nant Ddu to other facilities across the borough.

Jean Parry, of Garndiffaith, contacted the Free Press after the elderly lady she cares for, who she wished to remain anonymous, was moved from Ty Nant Ddu, a centre she has visited for over five years, to Zion Hill Community Centre.

Mrs Parry explained the clients who have been relocated to Zion Hill have been made very welcome and are well cared for, but said she wanted people to be aware of Ty Nant Ddu's 'sad demise'.

"Ty Nant Ddu is fantastic, it is essential for people with learning difficulties and yet they have been moved out," she said.

"The woman was visiting Ty Nant Ddu twice a week and doing all sorts of activities such as cookery, pottery and artwork. It was the highlight of her week. If she didn't have that she would be stuck in the house staring at four walls.

"We were told during the discussions about the new school a few years ago that Ty Nant Ddu would not be used in the sense it was then, but we never thought it would be closed."

Mrs Parry attended a meeting with the council's social services department last summer and received two letters in the run up to Christmas informing her of the proposals, but said up until two weeks ago some clients didn't know where, if anywhere, they would be going. Last May the Free Press featured the story of another Ty Nant Ddu user Daniel King, of Cwmbran, who was fighting to keep the centre going. Mr King, who suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling from a 30-foot ladder, said the views of clients were ignored during the council's review into its provision of day activities.

A council spokesman said: "Ty Nant Ddu is being used on a daily basis by service users with very high needs and also hosts a luncheon club for older people once a week. The Council has no plans to close the building.

"What we have done is to completely review day services in Torfaen - including those provided at Ty Nant Ddu - and change the way day activities are provided for those people with medium level needs.

"Over the past six months, we have implemented some very new exciting community-based activities. The early response has been encouraging; service users have enjoyed participating in activities nearer their homes and becoming more involved in their local communities."

Social Services maintains clients who used to attend Ty Nant Ddu are now enjoying more stimulating and varied activities of a more appropriate nature.

They added: "In addition, young people who leave full-time education will now be able to look forward to a full and varied programme of training, work experience and further education at a range of different settings."