A DISABLED girl is to have respite care for her parents slashed by more than 80 per cent because of a budget crisis at Bury Council.

Emily Riley, aged eight, suffers from cerebral palsy and epilepsy and has had her annual 232 hours of respite care cut to just 40 hours.

The hours allocated to Emily helped to give a break to her parents Karen and Peter Turner-Riley, but now the care she will receive amounts to only one hour a week for nine months of the year.

Families of children with disabilities received a letter before Christmas telling them their respite care services had to be cut and everybody's case would be reviewed.

The social services department made the cuts to produce a 25 per cent saving. Some families have lost more than 25 per cent of their care, others less.

Emily, of Chapeltown Road, Radcliffe, who attends Tottington Primary School will now only have time for one swimming session or an hour-long trip out each week.

Mrs Turner-Riley, aged 44, an export sales manager, said: "When we were told that our hours were to be cut, we couldn't believe it.

"The respite care is a big deal to Emily. It gives her time to be with an adult who isn't a parent and gives her more independence.

"I am sure that having less respite care will only cause problems for social services in the future.

"I am urging people in our situation to write to their MPs and councillors and also Children's Minister Margaret Hodge. These people need to be aware of how Bury's most vulnerable people are being treated."

Eleni Ioannides, head of social services, said families had agreed to varythe cuts so the most vulnerable scheme members would not lose out disproportionately in cuts which had to be made.