Fierce opposition is growing to plans to close a daycare centre for people with learning difficulties in Aberdeen.

The council's social work chief has insisted alternative services will be provided but the families of the disabled say they will suffer as a result.

Aileen Hutchison's 31-year-old daughter Susan has cerebral palsy and requires round-the-clock care. Four days a week she uses the Rosehill Daycare Centre - but now the service faces the axe.

The council wants to shut either it or the Burnside Centre and merge the two facilities. But Aileen has launched a campaign group to fight the plans.

She said: "I dread to think what's going to happen to them if they're left to their own devices. They're not capable of looking after themselves, they need people guiding them. But the way things are going they're just going to be left sitting in their house on their own because they're not capable of doing any more.

"You cannot do this to vulnerable people; it's insane, it's inhumane."  

Aberdeen City Council hopes to slice millions of pounds off its social work budget and this particular move is expected to save the local authority £700,000.

Senior social work manager, Murray Lees, has defended the changes. He said: "There has been an over-provision in Aberdeen in certain areas. The council spends more on learning disabilities than any other local authority in mainland Scotland."

He insisted the move would not alter the care on offer to the disabled - a pledge campaigners are reluctant to believe.

Kevin McCahery fought to keep the Choices Centre open in 2008. He claims he was given the same false hope.

Mr McCahery said: "I'm sorry: I've heard it all before and I've heard it all from Mr Lees. I know and he knows that what he's saying is a load of rubbish. When Choices closed, under Aberdeen's duty of care they were supposed to have something ready for us; there was nothing. And there will be nothing ready for anyone from Rosehill or Burnside."

A decision will be made on which centre will close by June. In the meantime, campaigners maintain they will continue the fight to keep both centres open.