MORE than 3,500 people have signed a petition to save an inclusion service for children with special needs.

Councillor Cyndi Hughes, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for children and young people, was presented with the petition by 40 people at Darlington Town Hall yesterday afternoon.

Sue Crawford, who works for the threatened Early Years' Inclusion Service, said it enables children to be integrated into mainstream nurseries in the borough.

"It has got to remain in place, " she said.

"Even if cuts do have to be made this will only save £60,000 which is a drop in the ocean when compared to the good it provides.

"We are here fighting for these children because they do not have a voice."

Darlington Borough Council has proposed to cut the staff on the team from 11 to three.

The remaining staff will liase with teachers and offer training on how best to deal with children who have special needs.

The council is also proposing to set up a £100,000 fund, over four years, to which nurseries with special needs youngsters can apply for extra funding. Michael Watson organised the petition and the presentation. His son suffers from autism and uses the service. He said: "I am so pleased with how much public support we have had.

"We left the petition with businesses, pubs and parents around the town and were amazed by how many people felt this service was too important to cut.

"The council owes it to vulnerable people to provide services which will improve their quality of life. Nobody is more vulnerable than a child with special needs."

A council spokesperson said: "All parents who currently use the Early Years' Inclusion Service will receive the same level of provision until such a point that the child moves to the next phase of education.

"A ll parents involved have been written to informing them that the current service provision for their child will not change.

"Recent surveys of parents of disabled children requiring childcare provision have indicated that they want more flexible provision and improved access to a wider range of settings than currently available. We are working towards a long-term improvement to the service.

"Any changes made will be phased in and will affect new users of the service."