Disabled people devastated by the news that a special workshop will close are pinning their hopes on a meeting with councillors.

DIAL has staged daily woodwork sessions in Dockfield Road, Shipley, for 16 years but the organisation has said it can no longer fund the project.

Shipley East ward councillors have called for discussions with DIAL manager, Peter Clarke, and Bradford Council's Community Regeneration Manager, Philip Baldwin.

They are hoping to find alternative methods of funding in a bid to keep the workshop - which caters for up to 30 people over five days - open.

Councillor Phil Thornton (Lab, Shipley East) said: "DIAL is providing an excellent service and the workshop helps to build the confidence of disabled people. It is offering them real goals in life and to lose this facility would be devastating for them.

"Myself, Councillor Miller and Councillor Blackburn have asked for the meeting to thrash out face to face what the problems are.

"It's a real shame and the management should be looking for alternative methods of funding rather than sitting back and putting their feet up."

Mr Baldwin said that when the closure was announced, DIAL had been allocated funding until April next year and could apply again.

But Mr Clarke said: "We were allocated £15,355 for the 2000-2001 financial year but the workshop realistically needs more than £24,000 to keep it running."

He added: "I know a meeting has been tabled and we are prepared to meet and hold a constructive dialogue. We know this will have a huge impact on these people's lives and we have to hold the discussions around that. It's not something we would shirk."

DIAL has said it plans to focus on information and welfare services, advising and supporting more than 3,500 people.

But workshop students are angry because they claim management did not try to raise extra funding to keep the workshop open. Brenda Hamilton, of Barkerend Road, attends the workshop. She said: "I think it's excellent news that people are meeting to try and keep the workshop open. It is an excellent service and benefits a lot of disabled people."

Steve Galloway, workshop supervisor who will become redundant in November, said: "If the DIAL management committee has decided to shut the workshop down then I don't know how we will be able to stay open."