A COUPLE who face bankruptcy after providing vital care for disabled children today insisted the Government should do more for the "most vulnerable people in society."

And the campaign of Andrea and Colin Brighouse received the backing of local MPs, who said more should be done to help families cope.

The couple, whose 16-year-old daughter Lora suffers from autistic traits, have put themselves on the breadline in a bid to launch a new activity centre for disabled children from throughout East Lancashire, in Mill Hill, Blackburn.

They claim the yawning gap in facilities provided by social services and Blackburn with Darwen Council forced them to shoulder the responsibility themselves.

Today education and social services bosses admitted the service needed to be improved and revealed they were to launch their own centre in Shadsworth.

Despite a greater awareness nationally of the needs of children with disabilities, there are no specific national requirements in terms of out-of-hours provision. Blackburn MP and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "I applaud the Blue Tin Roof for their wonderful effort and I hope to meet them in the near future to discuss this gap in care and what can be done about it."

And Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "We all pay huge taxes in order to ensure that the most vulnerable people in society are protected. Clearly the Government and the local authority are failing to do so. I hope one or other of them will intervene to ensure proper care for Lora and other children in similar circumstances."

The Blue Tin Roof activity centre opened in December after a £35,000 loan from Andrea's parents Bill and Carol Hazard, of The Spinney, Beardwood, and a four-month slog to renovate and equip the centre.

But after committing £200,000 to a refurbishment of the former laundry in Charnley Street, Andrea and Colin, 37, are already £23,000 in debt in their business account, despite securing £50,000 of New Opportunity lottery funding. All 16 staff are currently working on a volunteer basis and the management team are not being paid.

Mum-of-three Andrea, 33, of Preston New Road, a former care worker, said she had no choice and is prepared to give the centre back to the community as a charitable organisation once it is up and running.

"I could crack up now or keep going to make this a success," she said. "We really are in trouble with not enough money in our accounts this month even to pay for our house. But there are some 500 children in Blackburn with Darwen, and many more across East Lancashire, who need this desperate service."

A report just over a year ago into care for disabled children in the area identified a "lack of after-school and holiday provision".

Cath Hitchen, Blackburn with Darwen assistant director of inclusion and access, said Blue Tin Roof will be able to apply for a grant after April when it is successfully up and running.

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