TWO day centres which provide care to people with mental health difficulties in Wycombe and Amersham are set to close at the end of the month.

The imminent closures of Benjamin Road Day Centre, in High Wycombe, and the Stokebury Centre, in Amersham, are part of a wider money-saving plan to shut most of the county's day centres.

Others, such as those in Bourne End and Princes Risborough, are still awaiting their fate, after volunteer groups were given the chance to take over their operations.

Buckinghamshire County Council insists the services at Stokebury and Benjamin Road will not be lost, and users will be catered for in other venues.

Jobs are not currently thought to be under threat, though there are concerns about the number of posts to be retained in the long-term.

William Jarvis, 75, says he is worried about how the closure of Stokebury, on London Road West, will affect his wife Margaret, 66, who attends about four times a week.

He said Margaret, who suffers from bi-polar disorder, walks to the centre from their home on Pineapple Road when he is unable to give her a lift.

He fears she will not be able to cope with getting a bus to different venues, including Chesham Town Hall, where they have been told some of the services could move to.

Mr Jarvis, a former goods inspector said: “It sounds as though instead of having one place to go they will have about four different locations to get to each week.

“It just doesn't seem right to me, these are the most vulnerable people there are. Stokebury has been a great help to my wife and I don't think this upheaval will do any of the users any good.”

The council did not provide details of where users would now go for care, but councillor Patricia Birchley, in charge of social care, said: “The service users who attend Stokebury will use other services and their needs will be met.”

Existing day centres which provide services for people with mental health difficulties are located at Amersham Hospital and Burnham, though the council is looking at other 'community venues'.

As part of the wider plan, major new day centre 'hubs' are set to be provided in High Wycombe and the Amersham/Chesham area, though these are a long way from being built.

The Stokebury Centre is to be retained as offices in the short-term, though it could be sold-off along with other day centres in the future.

The charity Crossroads also uses Stokebury to provide specialist care for dementia sufferers. It has been given notice to find alternative accommodation by August 31, though there is some flexibility for vacating the property.

Some day centre users are entitled to a mobility allowance and a spokesman urged Mr Jarvis to contact the council to explain his wife's needs.