Protesters held a last ditch demonstration against huge cuts facing care services in Oxfordshire today.

County councillors were expected to vote to put up council tax bills by about 12 per cent - but still slash £10.5m from the social services budget over the next three years.

A handful of anti-cuts protesters held a rally outside County Hall to put the views of the disabled and vulnerable people set to be affected by the cuts.

Larry Sanders, joint head of the Oxfordshire Carers Forum, which represents hundreds of disabled people, said: "I have been in Oxfordshire for 20 years and I can't remember anything as bad as this.

"We are still meeting people who are beginning to feel the effect of last year's cuts. The combination of the next three years of cuts will be devastating for many people." Social services chiefs are proposing to close the Kidlington Family Centre, one old people's home and three resource centres for disabled children.

Councillors blame a reduction in the grant they receive from the Government for the cuts - the sixth in successive years.

John Tanner, Labour leader of Oxford City Council, told today's rally: "The settlement for social services from the Labour Government is a disgrace."

Janet Godden, Liberal Democrat spokesman on social services on the county council, added: "We are having to accept the unacceptable."

Protesters have already held a march through Oxford city centre and travelled to Westminster to make their case. And Save the Children today joined the campaign to save the three disability resource centres threatened with closure.

Save the Children's Oxfordshire children rights commissioner, Dr Ianthe Maclagan, said: "The centres are vital in helping parents cope with caring for their disabled children."

Councillors were expected to use the results of a MORI poll to justify a council tax hike - which aims to safeguard spending on education. Most of the 1,000 questioned supported a tax rise of £50 or more.

Story date: Tuesday 16 February

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